Maharashtra: SP MLA booked for protest, ‘inciting’ people

Stating that the voice of public representatives was being stifled, Abu Asim Azmi said on Friday that he held the protest to highlight the high-handedness of the police and raise concerns over the functioning of the government.

Samajwadi Party state president and MLA from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Abu Asim Azmi, was booked by the Mumbai Police on Friday for allegedly holding a protest and inciting people at Nagpada on Wednesday.

At the protest, Azmi had alleged that there was mismanagement by the police in transporting migrant workers to their hometowns and demanded the suspension of Nagpada Senior Inspector Shalini Sharma. A day later, Sharma was transferred to Chembur police station.

Stating that the voice of public representatives was being stifled, Azmi said on Friday that he held the protest to highlight the high-handedness of the police and raise concerns over the functioning of the government.

He added: “On Tuesday night, when I questioned Sharma about the mismanagement by the Nagpada police, she was extremely rude and told me that ‘I could not tell her these things’. I am a public representative and well within my right to raise these issues.”

The police said that a Shramik special train that was scheduled to leave for Lucknow at 11 pm from CSMT on Tuesday got cancelled and they were informed about it around 1 am on Wednesday.

“As we were told that the train would leave at 11 pm, we accordingly passed on the information to the registered migrant workers and they started gathering since evening at CSMT. However, there was huge chaos at CSMT, due to which the train got cancelled… we were informed much later. Some politicians then came to the spot and protested,” said an officer.

As the video of the protest went viral on social media, an FIR was registered against Azmi.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhinash Kumar (Zone III) said, “We have booked him for inciting the crowd and flouting lockdown norms… He has also been charged for stopping police officers from performing their duties.”