New Delhi: Tahir Hussain, a key accused in the 2020 Delhi riots, filed his nomination papers for the Mustafabad constituency in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Running on an AIMIM ticket, Hussain was granted custody parole by the Delhi High Court specifically for this purpose.
Following the completion of the nomination process, he returned to Tihar Jail, where he is currently jailed. The former AAP councillor, now representing Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, left Tihar Jail under heavy police security around 9:15 AM on Thursday.
After filing his nomination, he returned to custody at 2:16 PM. The AIMIM’s Delhi president, Shoaib Jamai, confirmed Hussain’s candidacy and hinted at the party’s intention to field strong candidates in select constituencies, including Shafa-ur-Rehman in Okhla, another candidate currently jailed in connection with the CAA-NRC protests.
“We will not contest all seats but, wherever we do, we will leave no stone unturned. Our candidates will be strong, like Tahir Hussain from Mustafabad and Shafa-ur-Rehman from Okhla. Both are currently jailed in cases related to the CAA-NRC protests,” Jamai told news agency PTI.
The Delhi High Court granted Hussain custody parole following his petition. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna’s order emphasised the importance of protecting Hussain’s right to participate in the electoral process. However, the parole came with stringent conditions. Hussain was barred from using any communication devices, interacting with the media, or having contact with anyone other than officials directly involved in the nomination process.
While family was allowed to accompany him, they were prohibited from taking photos or sharing the event on social media. The court had stated clearly that “The State may coordinate accordingly with the concerned Authorities so that the entire process is completed in a timely manner and the Applicant/Petitioner’s right of filing Nomination is not impacted in any manner.”
The backdrop to this unusual nomination is the 2020 Delhi riots, a period of intense communal violence that left 53 dead and many injured. Hussain’s alleged involvement in the riots makes his candidacy a highly sensitive and controversial issue in the upcoming elections.
