AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday defended his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi — accused of threatening a police official in Hyderabad — saying the officer had asked the latter to conclude his election speech five minutes before the permitted duration. “The law is permitting and you tell us to stop it five minutes before?” he said. The BJP, however, attacked the Owaisi brothers, reminding them of the police’s might for those on the wrong side of the law.

The Hyderabad police registered a case against AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi under section 353 (obstructing official duties) of the Indian Penal Court.

“If the time was 10:01 pm, you have all the right to stop us. When five minutes were left, why did he come to the podium?… The law is permitting and you tell us to stop it five minutes before?… One could react if it’s 10:01 pm…What’s this behaviour? One could say a lot in five minutes. For a speaker, opening and concluding statements is important,” said Asaduddin Owaisi, hours after his brother’s speech went viral.

Slamming Akbaruddin Owaisi’s behaviour, the BJP said those in uniform can display their power by hitting “10 batons and counting only one”.

“Be it Asaduddin Owasi or Akbaruddin Owaisi — they only try to instigate others and violate the principles of the Constitution… When the sons of Bharat Mata (Mother India) come wearing uniform and hit 10 batons and count only one (das dande marte hain aur ginte ek hain), then people get to know the power of the uniform and those who give such remarks also get to know their stature (haisiyat)….No one is above the law. If the uniform comes into action, their arrogance would completely vanish,” said BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia.

Also read: ‘No one can stop me’: Akbaruddin Owaisi, brother of AIMIM chief, threatens cop

Akbaruddin Owaisi allegedly threatened a police officer after the latter asked him to conclude his speech within the time limit stipulated by the Model Code of Conduct.

Addressing a campaign in Hyderabad’s Lalitabagh on Tuesday, Akbaruddin Owaisi asked the policeman to leave the venue and said he could make him run from the police.

“Do you think that after facing knives and bullets, I got weak, still there’s lots of courage in me. Five minutes are left and I’ll address five minutes, no one can stop me. If I give a signal then you’ll have to run, shall we make him run? This is what I’m saying, they come like this to weaken us,” Owaisi said.

Akbaruddin Owaisi is an assembly poll candidate from Telangana’s Chandrayangutta constituency.

Telangana will go to polls on November 30. The results will be declared on December 3.