Petition filed against Owaisi over 'communal statements'

A petition has been filed against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Bankshall Court in Kolkata for 'communal statements at a rally in Hyderabad on August 5.'

Offences under section 153A/295A of the Indian Penal Code have been added in the petition, and the AIMIM chief has been summoned before the court on September 1.

Few days after a Muslim man was forced to shave off his beard following an altercation in Gurugram, Owaisi had threatened the accused that he would be "converted to Islam". Strongly reacting to the incident, Owaisi further said that he would make the accused grow a beard.

"Muslim man's beard was shaved off. Those who did it, I am telling them and their fathers, even if you slit our throat, we'll be Muslims. We will convert you to Islam and will make you keep a beard," he said.

The incident took place in Gurugram's Sector 29 when three people allegedly dragged a Muslim man to a salon and forced him to shave off his beard.