Bareilly (UP) (PTI): A local court has directed AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi to appear before it over a plea that claimed he had violated the Constitution by raising a slogan hailing Palestine in Parliament.

Lawyer Virendra Gupta filed a petition against Owaisi over the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader voicing support for Palestine during his oath-taking ceremony in Parliament.

Gupta said in his plea that the five-time MP had violated constitutional and legal beliefs.

He told reporters on Tuesday that a petition was filed in the MP/MLA court on July 12 but it was rejected.

Gupta then filed a revision petition in the court of the district judge.

District Judge Sudhir allowed the petition and issued a notice to Owaisi on Saturday, asking him to appear before the court on January 7.

Gupta said he was hurt by Owaisi's slogan.

His slogan was against the Constitution, he added.

Owaisi took oath as Hyderabad MP on June 25.

After his oath-taking ceremony, he had hailed the conflict-hit West Asian country from the podium. The chairman later ordered the remarks to be expunged.

Owaisi had justified his slogan after he came out of the House and told reporters there was nothing wrong in him saying "Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine".

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Kochi (PTI): Two persons have been arrested after a three-member gang allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at knifepoint near Ernakulam Junction Railway station, officials said on Friday.

The arrested accused were identified as Danish (26), a native of Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district, and Rahul (39), a native of Paravoor in Kollam district.

Police officials said they were searching for the prime accused, Sanjay, a native of Aroor in Alappuzha district.

According to police, the incident occurred on the night of May 5 when the victim was chatting with her friend near a closed hotel near Ernakulam Junction Railway station.

Officials said the accused approached them, attacked the victim’s friend and then allegedly threatened the woman with a knife before sexually assaulting her.

Police said the accused also allegedly disrobed the victim during the attack.

However, the woman managed to escape from the spot and approached a nearby shop for help.

Police were informed immediately and shifted the victim to the police station.

Officials said the accused were heavily drunk at the time of the incident and went into hiding soon after the attack.

Police registered a case on May 6 under charges including rape, disrobing a woman, criminal intimidation and robbery.

The two accused were later arrested in the city, while efforts are continuing to trace Sanjay, police said.

The accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.