Kalaburagi: An FIR has been registered by the Kalaburagi police against All Indian Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Waris Pathan for his alleged 'communal' comments at an anti-CAA protest rally.
Pathan has been booked under Sec 177, 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code.
Addressing a rally on February 19, Pathan had said, "15 crore (Muslims) will prove stronger than the 100-crore majority."
"They say we have kept our women at the forefront. I want to tell these people -- only the lionesses have come out and you are in a cold sweat. You can understand what would happen if all of us come together. We are just 15 crore but can be a bigger force than the 100-crore majority population," Pathan had said, inviting criticism from BJP and MNS.
Read: Storm over AIMIM Waris Pathan's 'communal speech'
He also stated that the minority community could well snatch "your azaadi".
As the issue snowballed into a political controversy, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday is understood to gagged Pathan and has ordered him not to speak with the media till further orders.
In a statement, Pathan said that he was "totally quoted out of context" by the media on his Kalburgi (Gulbarga) meeting, where even Owaisi and other senior leaders were present.
"Neither me, nor my party supports anything that creates a divide between people on the basis of caste, creed and religion. Jai Hind," said Pathan in a statement.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
