Kanpur city in Uttar Pradesh recently reported communal conflict following Friday prayers on June 3, 2022; now another controversy has erupted with a city Qazi allegedly voicing communal sentiments. The Qazi has since asserted that his statements were wilfully distorted by mainstream media.

The violence began after a video of BJP leader Nupur Sharma making controversial remarks seen to be insulting of Prophet Mohammad and these went viral on social media. A Muslim group went around forcibly closing shops to condemn this insult when the police started lathi-charging the group. Similarly, there were reports of some Hindu groups stone-pelting the group trying to shut shops that eventually led to the conflict. According to a syndicated feed, the state police booked 500 people for rioting on Saturday.

According to Amar Ujala, it was this charging only Muslim people that bothered Qazi Hafiz Abdul Quddus Hadi enough to speak to the media. He said that while the Muslim group was wrong to take out a procession, the stone-pelting was equally wrong. Yet, the youth of only one group were arrested by the police he said. Besides, he heard talks/allegations/threats of bulldozers that would be used to demolish Muslim houses in the area.

On all these forms of aggressions, the Qazi said that people will be forced to walk out on the streets in shrouds if such violence continues. Many news channels like Zee News, Navbharat Times and India TV (two of whom are at least clearly identified as right-wing) reported Qazi as saying that “if bulldozers are used on Muslim houses” we too will enter the streets carrying shrouds”. Right-wing social media channels like Hum Hindu Hai page used this opportunity to abuse the marginalised minority community.

However, later on the Qazi clarified that he was talking only about the innocent people who have been jailed for the June 3 violence. He stressed that he did not wish for anybody to break the law. Instead, he said that if any action is taken against innocents, then people will protest on the streets wearing shrouds.

“If you don’t want us to live here, you want to arrest our children, harass and destroy our houses then okay – we too are educated,” he said.

Like the Qazi other members of society like Millat Times Editor Shams Tabrez Qasmi also faced a backlash for speaking about the Kanpur violence. However, in his case, the local police charged him for “spreading fake or provocative news” on the issue. Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Vijay Singh Meena issued a statement saying that arrests are being done in accordance with the law and due evidence. The statement said that the police used CCTV, videos and photos to find the accused.

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In another instance of muzzling the media, Uttar Pradesh police booked Millat Times Editor Shams Tabrez Qasmi on June 6, 2022 for posting visuals of Kanpur violence on Twitter, reported Maktoob Media. In a tweet, Qasmi said that the charges against him are baseless and will not deter him from doing journalism.

Police has filed a case against me over my video tweet regarding Kanpur violence. The case and charges against me are baseless. This attempt of the UP police to silence me will not work. I will continue doing journalism to hold power to account.

— Shams Tabrez Qasmi (@ShamsTabrezQ) June 6, 2022

On Monday, Qasmi faced an FIR accusing the journalist of criminal intimidation and statements leading to public mischief for sharing videos of violence in Kanpur on June 3. At least six persons were injured on Friday when a Muslim organisation called to shut down shops at the Parade Market over the comments made about Prophet Mohammed by BJP leader Nupur Sharm on TV. According to a syndicated feed, the State Police booked 500 people for rioting on Saturday. Meanwhile, Maktoob Media said the clashes began when Hindu groups hurled stones at protesting Muslims.

Qasmi on his part shared the video on social media. For this, the police accused him of spreading provocative and fake news. On receiving the FIR, he declared that the police was – unsuccessfully – trying to silence him.

The news has garnered sympathies for Qasmi within a short amount of time from the journalistic community.

What is happening? Now, UP police has booked @ShamsTabrezQ, editor of @Millat_Times under sections 505 & 507 of IPC & 66 of IT Act ‘for spreading provocative & fake news’ for a video he posted on Twitter showing communal clashes in Kanpur. Unrelenting attack on journalists!

— Arbab Ali (@arbabali_jmi) June 6, 2022

Stay strong ?
In solidarity ?

— Meer Faisal (@meerfaisal01) June 6, 2022

Similarly, Maktoob said Muslim groups and rights activists called the police action “discriminatory”. The news comes days after Alt News Co-Founder Mohammed Zubair received his fifth or sixth FIR from the Uttar Pradesh police. Zubair faced charges of “hurting religious sentiments” by referring to Yati Narsinghanand, Bajrang Muni and Anand Swarup as “hatemongers” in his tweet.

Similarly, Katni’s local journalist Ravi Gupta in Madhya Pradesh on May 27 accused local BJP MLA and former Minister Sanjay Pathak of kidnapping, thrashing and threatening his family members with sexual assault. According to Gupta, the MLA’s goons forced him into a car and took him to a local restaurant. Worse still, he claimed the police discouraged him from filing a formal complaint.

While such attacks continue on the media community in India, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directs the UP Director general of police (DGP) to invoke the Gangster Act and National Security Act (NSA) against “trouble makers”. The Maktoob Media reports that at least 36 Muslims were booked under the draconian NSA in Kanpur.

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The post Millat Times Editor booked for sharing Kanpur violence videos! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

After violence had broken out in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur on the late afternoon of Friday, June 3, leaving at least six persons injured, as protestors from the Muslim community apparently clashed with the police, according to news agency PTI, the Uttar Pradesh Police Saturday booked 500 people for rioting adding that “an uneasy calm” prevailed in the affected areas on Saturday morning.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and order) Anand Prakash Tiwari told the media that 18 people have been arrested so far over the Friday incident, and some others are detained for questioning. “The area is peaceful and we are maintaining a round-the-clock vigil,” he said, adding some suspects were detained overnight by different police teams.

Three FIRs over rioting and violence have been lodged against over 500 people, Tiwari said.

The violence had broken out in Pared, Nai Sadak and Yateemkhana areas of the city after Friday namaz, PTI said, when “some people tried to force shopkeepers to down shutters over allegedly insulting remarks made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma during a TV debate recently. At least 40 people including 20 police personnel were injured during the clashes, police said on Saturday.

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, some Muslims had closed their shops and taken out a procession in response to an alleged insult to Prophet Mohammad. Hundreds of protestors had taken to the streets Kanpur’s Becongunj.

After her comments, Sharma was booked by the Maharashtra police on May 30 and then by the Hyderabad police the next day, on the basis of a complaint by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Awasuddin Owaisi.

According to reports, the situation was initially brought under control but soon flared up again, with two shots reportedly being fired and the police calling for reinforcements thereafter. Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar has warned that those involved will be booked under the stringent Gangsters Act and their properties seized or demolished.

Note: This is a developing story and will be updated when more details are available.

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