Corporator arrested for opposing condolence motion on Vajpayee

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

A corporator has been arrested here for opposing a resolution in the municipal corporation to pay tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a police official said today.

Syed Mateen Sayyad Rashid, a member of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) belonging to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a Hyderabad-based political party, was apprehended last night, he said.

The arrest was made after a complaint was filed against him by the AMC's security officer, he said.

Rashid has been booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 294 (obscene acts in public) at the City Chowk police station, police said.

Earlier yesterday, the 32-year-old was allegedly thrashed by BJP corporators for opposing the condolence motion tabled for paying homage to Vajpayee, who died in New Delhi on August 16.

The alleged incident took place during the general body meeting of the civic body, ruled by the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, here in central Maharashtra, an official had said.

After the meeting began, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Raju Vaidya tabled a proposal to pay tributes to Vajpayee. Rashid opposed it, which infuriated the saffron party members, who allegedly thrashed him, he said.

A video clip purportedly showing Rashid being kicked, punched and slapped by BJP corporators has gone viral on social media and was also aired by some TV channels.

Rashid has lodged a separate complaint against two BJP corporators and some other members in connection with the assault on him, the police official said.

Yesterday, the general body of the AMC passed a resolution to cancel Rashid's membership, a civic official said.

Soon after the fracas at the meeting, Deputy Mayor Vijay Sainath Autade had directed the AMC's security officer to lodge a complaint against the AIMIM corporator for attempting to create enmity between two communities, he said.

Rashid was arrested from the Government Medical College and Hospital where he was admitted for treatment of injuries he suffered in the attack, the police said.

The AIMIM corporator yesterday told PTI that he was opposing the move to pay tributes to Vajpayee in a "democratic manner", but was assaulted by around a dozen BJP corporators.

The Aurangabad civic body is ruled by the BJP-Shiv Sena combine.