All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi has been barred from entering Thane district in Maharashtra for the next three days, and was denied permission to hold a rally in the town of Kondhwa ahead of civic by-polls in the area. Owaisi’s party is fielding seven candidates in the elections usually dominated by the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party, The Hindu reported.

Police officials said this was a preventive measure as Owaisi, an MLA from Telangana, is known to make inflammatory speeches. It is suspected they are especially on edge because two of the AIMIM candidates mentioned executed terrorist Yakub Memon during their rallies. However, members of Owaisi’s party said the move was uncalled for and against their right to campaign. Earlier this month, an FIR was registered against Owaisi for a speech at an election rally in Kishanganj, Bihar.