Ahmedabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and MP Assaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that his party is aiming to expand the party's base in Gujarat ahead of the assembly elections scheduled next year.
Talking exclusively to ETV Bharat reporter in Ahmedabad, Owaisi decried police curbs on his movement and barring him to meet former MP Atiq Ahmad from Uttar Pradesh, who has been lodged in Sabarmati jail. A contingent of police prevented Owaisi and Aurangabad AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jalil from proceeding to Sabarmati jail to meet the detained leader whose wife recently joined Owaisi's party.
"We had sought an appointment with the jail superintendent through an application and an e-mail. Today, we were going to meet the jail superintendent to enquire as to why the meeting with Atiq Ahmad has been barred. When meeting jailed persons or undertrials is allowed in other cases, why are there restrictions on a particular person," he said. He said that police prevented them from moving ahead and threatened to detain "if we proceeded further." Owaisi said it was clear that the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Gujarat did not want them to meet Atiq Ahmad.
The Hyderabad MP said that his party was willing to enter into alliances and meet many people ahead of the assembly elections. "The purpose of our visit is to thank the people who showered a lot of affection on our party in the recently held local body elections. We also wanted to meet our elected local body members and review their style of working," he said.
He also said that the AIMIM president in Gujarat, Sabir Kabilwala will decide on the number of candidates the party would be fielding. "We are open to alliances and meeting different people. If they want they can also join our party," he said.
Also read: Asaduddin Owaisi changes plan, not to meet Atiq Ahmed in Sabarmati Jail
