Gujarat: AIMIM Claims Stones Hurled At Vande Bharat Train Carrying Owaisi, Police Deny

Pathan alleged two stones were hurled one after the other. The stones were heavy enough to smash the glass pane glass where Owaisi and his team mates were sitting, he claimed.

National spokesperson of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Waris Pathan stated that stones were thrown at the Vande Bharat train carrying party president Asaduddin Owaisi in poll-bound Gujarat. Police, on the other hand, rejected the claim and stated an investigation into the Monday incident was underway.

The event occurred before the train arrived in Surat on Monday evening, where Owaisi, the Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, was set to address a public gathering as part of his political campaigning in the state, whose Assembly elections are planned for December 1 and 5, according to Pathan. 

However, Western Railway Superintendent of Police Rajesh Parmar stated on Tuesday that some "grit" damaged the train's glass pane owing to engineering work being done on the track near Ankleshwar in Bharuch district, where the alleged incident happened, news agency PTI reported. 

"It was not a case of stone-pelting," the officer said, noting that Owaisi was sitting away from the window, PTI reported. 

The cracked window was replaced, and an officer at the deputy superintendent of police (DySP) level was investigating the matter, he added.

"Asaduddin Owaisi Saheb, Sabir Kabliwala sir, me, and the AIMIM team were travelling on the Vande Bharat Express train from Ahmedabad to Surat when some unidentified men flung stones at the train and damaged its glass," the AIMIM spokesperson claimed in a video posted on Twitter. 

Pathan also said he has some photographs to prove his claim. 

Pathan alleged two stones were hurled one after the other. The stones were heavy enough to smash the glass pane glass where Owaisi and his teammates were sitting, he claimed.

"(Prime Minister) Modiji, what's going on? The Vande Bharat occasionally runs over animals. A stone hit?? the train glass while we were 22-25 kilometres from Surat, according to a display on the train. When the stone shattered the window glass, Owaisi was seated there" the AIMIM leader stated in the video. 

"The window glass was cracked by a big stone. Another stone landed in 10-15 seconds. Throw a stone, spray fire, but the voice of right will not be silenced "he added, adding that he had photographic evidence of the occurrence.

Pathan also posted photos of the smashed glass pane and Owaisi and other AIMIM members aboard the train on his Twitter account.

However, SP Parmar said it was not a case of stone-pelting.

"Something hit the glass when engineering work was being done on the railroad at Ankleshwar in Bharuch, where the event occurred. The broken window was replaced," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

Six Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawans and three Government Railway Police (GRP) officers were stationed at all four doors of the carriage in which Owaisi was travelling, according to the official.

"The train was running slow as engineering work was underway there. The window developed a crack as something hit it, although it was not a case of stone-pelting," he stated. 

"The engineering department said some grit flew and hit the window glass. The window was changed. A DySP-level officer is investigating the incident," Parmar added.

(With Inputs From PTI)