AIMIM Corporator Who Opposed Resolution Condoling Vajpayee’s Death Jailed For One Year

All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) corporator in Aurangabad Municipal Corporation Sayyed Mateen Rashid has been sent to judicial custody for a year, Indian Express has reported. He has been booked under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers, Drug-Offenders and Dangerous Persons Act, 1981 — or MPDA act for promoting enmity between members of two communities.

Rashid had opposed a resolution to pay tribute to the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee after his demise last week. Rashid’s behaviour led to a scuffle as the grieving Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena corporators were enraged by this act. Earlier, Rashid had also protested against the singing of the national anthem in the Aurangabad civic body. His supporters then allegedly damaged the vehicle of a BJP leader after the incident.

“Serious offences like arson, rioting, inciting mob for breach of communal harmony, creating alarm in society (invite action) hence (the police were) left with no choice but to book him under MPDA. Other preventive actions failed to check him,” Aurangabad Commissioner Chiranjeev Prasad told the Indian Express.

AIMIM MLA from Aurangabad Syed Imitiaz Jaleel has said that it was a case of police excess and the case was political in nature. He said that he had issued his condolences, but Rashid was opposing the resolution. He added that other corporators who thrashed Rashid were given bail and that he would move to the High Court challenging the decision.