'I'm a free bird, want to live freely': Asaduddin Owaisi on his 'Z' security

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha over the incident of firing at the motorcade of Owaisi on February 3, Amit Shah said that two people have been arrested and the Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government.

NEW DELHI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi o Monday said that he doesn’t like to be surrounded by people with arms and said that he wanted to live freely as he was a “free bird.”

The AIMIM leader also reminded the Centre about the 22 human lives which were lost during the anti-CAA protests across the country and said that his life was not more valuable than theirs.

“Today in the Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked me to accept Z category security. I want to say to him that the value of my life is not more than 22 people who died during the CAA protest. I don't like people with arms around me, I'm a free bird, want to live freely,” the AIMIM MP said.

Today in the parliament, HM Amit Shah asked me to accept Z category security. I want to say to him that value of my life is not more than 22 people who died during CAA protest. I don't like people with arms around me, I'm a free bird, want to live freely:AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi pic.twitter.com/lPnhD12xk3

— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2022

Reaction from Owaisi came shortly after Home Minister Amit Shah requested him to take the central security cover that was accorded to him after evaluation of threat perception.

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha over the incident of firing at the motorcade of Owaisi on February 3, Shah further said that two people have been arrested and the Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government.

"An FIR has been lodged in the Pilakhua Police station in UP and the local police is investigating the case with all seriousness and minutely. Two unidentified people had fired on the carcade. He came out safe but there were three bullet marks on the lower portion of the vehicle," Shah said in his statement. 

The incident was seen by at least three witnesses, he added. The Home Minister, however, said that Owaisi did not have a planned event in Hapur and the district authorities were not informed of his trip.

"We have assessed his security threat and decided to give him security. I request him to accept the security cover, Shah said, adding that in the past too, he was accorded with the central security but he refused," Shah said.

"I request him to take Security cover provided by the Central Reserve Police Force in which he will have bullet proof car and round-the-clock security cover in Delhi and in Telangana," the Home Minister added further in his statement.

On February 4, the Centre had accorded ‘Z’ category of security to the AIMIM Chief following a firing incident that occurred when he was returning to Delhi from Meerut.

The firing incident took place at a toll plaza in Hapur in Western Uttar Pradesh on February 3, 2022.