This story is from February 7, 2016

Friends fell apart after Pahelwan's entry into Cong

The Congress Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) friction apparently started with the induction of Mohammed Pahelwan, an accused in the murderous attack on Akbaruddin Owaisi, into the grand old party a few days prior to the GHMC polls.
Friends fell apart after Pahelwan's entry into Cong

Hyderabad: The Congress Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) friction apparently started with the induction of Mohammed Pahelwan, an accused in the murderous attack on Akbaruddin Owaisi, into the grand old party a few days prior to the GHMC polls. Once considered close to the Owaisi brothers, Pahelwan had parted ways with the MIM after a dispute with the two brothers in 2007 and later joined the Majlis Bachao Tehreek.
Leader of the oppostion in the Legislative Council, Shabbir Ali, who played a key role in luring Pahelwan into the Congress, became the soft target of the MIM.

Hyderabad police claimed that the tension between MIM and Congress was apparent in the run up to the elections and clash was inevitable at some point of time. On a couple of occasions, police had averted a clash, especially when objections were raised by MIM sympathisers when Congress wanted to hold a public meeting at Kilwat in the Old City with its general secretary Digvijaya Singh. After police interference, Congress could finally organise a public meeting, where Pahelwan's family officially joined the Congress, which did not go down well with MIM.
On the election day, a few pro-MIM media personnel alerted the Owaisis that Congress leaders were raising anti-MIM slogans near the Mirchowk police station. Annoyed over the development, MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and others rushed to the police station. Telangana Congress president Uttam Kumar Reddy and Mohammad Ali Shabbir were talking to the media there after their Puranapul corporator candidate Mohammed Ghouse was released from custody.

"Though senior Congress leaders along with Ghouse were told to leave the premises, they waited at the police station and spoke to the media. Had they left the place with Ghouse without creating any scene with a large number of people, the attack on Congress leaders would not have taken place,'' a senior police officer told STOI. Police were investigating how Congress and MIM leaders could get along a large number of partymen when the section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was in force. It was found that anti-MIM slogans was the trigger for the assault on Shabbir Ali. Even Ghouse's entry into the Congress was a flashpoint as he was the MIM's corporator from Shahalibanda in the previous GHMC council (2009-2014).
In the case where a BJP activist accused Akbaruddin Owaisi of attacking him by entering a polling booth when the former raised objections over burqa-clad women standing in the queue, the South Zone police, through verification of video footage, found that Akbaruddin did not enter the polling station. However, Akbaruddin did reach the spot and he was stopped from entering the booth.
"During the initial verification of video footage, it was found that Akbaruddin did not enter the compound of the polling booth. However, some persons did enter the booth on the pretext of casting vote and assaulted the BJP candidate. After questioning the persons directly involved in the assault, we will ascertain whether the MLA had any role in the assault case,'' deputy commissioner of police (South Zone) V Satyanarayana told STOI.
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