HYDERABAD — Police say they have arrested a Muslim lawmaker in a southern Indian state for making inflammatory speeches against majority Hindus.

Police officer A.B. Venkateshwar Rao says Akbaruddin Owaisi, was arrested Tuesday in Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state. In speeches three weeks earlier he reportedly accused police of bias against Muslims, denigrated Hindu gods and said Muslims could teach the rest of the country a lesson.

Owaisi, the leader of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, or the Council of the Union of Muslims, left for London after his remarks and returned to India this week.

Police charged him with threatening the security of the nation and promoting enmity between Hindus and Muslims. He faces a possible death sentence if convicted.

Muslims comprise about 14 percent of India's more than 1 billion people.

AP