New Delhi: The prosecution case against the “masterminds” of the June 10 violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj seems to be majorly based on the purported statements of policemen and a few private individuals rather than solid evidence.

Describing the violent agitation against the offensive remarks against Prophet Muhammad by a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the three first information reports (FIRs) were filed the next day of the incident after an unexplained delay of 12-18 hours in near identical narration have accused Muslim activists of planning the violence at Atala, Asghari Tiraha and Shaukat Ali Chouraha in the city.

The police in the first three FIRs (0118/2022, P.S. Khuldabad; 0175/2022, PS Kareli; 0176/2022, PS Kareli) have alleged that a mob of thousands with children took to the streets after the Friday congregational, throwing stones, shooting pistols and lobbing bombs, gravely injuring three security personnel and destroying police vehicles.

Despite over 5,000 people hurling bombs and opening gunfire, as per the FIR, none of the policemen or any passer-by suffered injuries either caused by the explosives or the bullets. No FIR has been filed by any common citizen. Even the prosecution has not submitted any grave hospital report. 

The entire case has been built on the statements of 60 eyewitnesses, 54 of whom are police officials. There are striking similarities in the language of the FIRs and the alleged corroborative witness statements. 

“Hazaron logon ki ugra bheed uttejnatmat unmaad phailane waale dharmik naarebazi karte hue police/PAC bal par hamlawar ho kar jaanlewa pathraw karne lagi (raising religious slogans and spreading hysterical frenzy, a furious mob of thousands resorted to deadly stone pelting while attacking the police/PAC force).”

“Dharmik vidwesh wa unmaad phailane ki niyat se dharm vishesh ke sambandh men narebazi karte hue bheed atyant hinsak ho gayi (the crowd turned violent, raising slogans against a particular religion with the intention of spreading religious hatred and frenzy).” 

“Log daudte hue, maan-bahan ki gaali dete hue, jaan se maarne ki dhamki dete hue tatha naarebazi karte hue apne haathon men patthar wa bomb liye daurte aa rahe the aur kah rahe the ki police walon kaafir hain, inhen qatai nahin chhodna, inko maaro, maaro (with stones and bombs in their hands, people were running — hurling abuses and shouting not to spare policemen and kill them as they are infidels).”

“Nabaligh bachchon ko bhi uksakar narebazi wa pattharbaazi karai gayi (minors were too instigated and made to raise slogans and indulge in brick-batting).” 

These are among a few sentences that are ad verbatim in the FIRs and the purported statements of the witnesses. 

Almost similar narrations are also there in the statements of four private individuals — Anitesh Kumar Srivastava, Sumit Nishad, Amit Gupta and Umesh Chand Jaiswal, who belong to different areas and police stations. 

Interestingly, the statements of the rest two witnesses (Md Meraj and Md Salim) have also got their statements recorded verbatim.

“…dinank 10-06-2022 ki ghatna ke baad abhi bhi log dare sahmen hain tatha apne apne gharon men dubke hain, dukane bhi band hain, logon ke mann men abhi bhi darr bana hua hai. Prashasan ke laakh samjhane ke bawajood bhi logon ke mann se darr nahin nikal pa raha hai,” read their alleged statement. 

(…following the incident dated 10-06-2022, people are still scared and hiding in their homes. Shops are also closed. Fear still remains in their minds. Despite the administration’s attempts, people are unable to get rid of the fear.) 

Against 70 named and 5,000 unnamed accused, the first FIR was registered at 03:13 hours on June 11 (14 hours after the incident) under severe IPC sections 307, 395, 436 and 506, including 19 others, in addition to sections 4 and 5 of the Arms Act, section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, section 83 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act and sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

Registered under the same sections of the same legislations, the second case was registered against 14 identified and over 200 unidentified individuals, including well-known activist Javed Mohammad, around 18 hours after the incident.

The third FIR under the same sections was lodged against 11 named and over 250 unnamed accused nearly 19 hours after the incident.

Registering two FIRs at two different police stations for the same incident violates a 2001 Supreme Court ruling (T.T. Antony Vs State of Kerala & Ors), which says only one FIR can be registered for one crime.  

The apex court, more recently in the case of Mohammad Zubair, co-founder of the fake news buster website Alt News, observed, “Contents of all FIRs seem to be similar. What seems to be happening is that as he gets bail in one case, he is remanded in another. This vicious cycle is continuing.”

JAVED LED THE PROTEST, BUT WHERE’S THE EVIDENCE?

Dubbing Javed, the 53-year-old activist as the “mastermind” of the incident, the police claimed the 53-year-old activist had mobilised the protest through his Facebook post, a secret meeting at a guest house in Kareli and by distributing handbills.

“Javed Mohammad alias Pump is the mastermind of the incident. He along with his accomplice provoked people to attack the police with stones and bombs. He has a criminal background and had played an active role during anti-CAA/NRC protests at Mansur Ali Park. He had given a call through a Facebook post and WhatsApp messages for people to assemble at Atala after Friday prayer and stage a violent protest,” alleged a police witness in his purported statement.

The allegation has been repeated ad verbatim by all police witnesses in their statements. Interestingly, Javed’s accomplices have been mentioned in all the purported statements in identical order.

But there is no evidence (like his cell phone location, CCTV footage to prove his presence on the spot, etc.) in support of the claims made by the police witnesses that have been enclosed in the investigation records, accessed by NewsClick.

Rubbishing the allegation, his family said he was at throughout the day on Friday (June 10), went to offer the congregational prayer at a nearby mosque, and the family had lunch together. He went again in the evening to offer namaz and returned home. Riding his own scooty, he then went at 8 pm to the police station where he was detained and later arrested.

His family said they have CCTV footage from a neighbour that shows him on a scooty near his house at 2:27 pm, 30 minutes after the police say violence erupted in Atala, approximately 2.6 km away, and they have photos that show him following the police on his own scooty after they came to take him away later that night.

According to the police, Javed was leading the protest that day at three locations. As he instigated people at Atala and violence erupted there, the police said, he slipped into the mob and left for the second location. After turning the agitators against the police there as well, he left for the third location, led people and incited the violence.

Again there is no evidence, except the alleged statements of the witnesses, in support of the allegation. Given the heightened violence depicted in the FIRs, which describe different incidents in two locations in the same area, he could not have been simultaneously rioting at two different places.

The police theory says the violence at Atala began around 2 pm, and it was followed by rioting at the other two locations at 2:30 and 3 pm, respectively. But locals claim the violence did not continue for even an hour. 

Those who have been named as conspirators or masterminds, their participation in the anti-CAA protests have been cited to prove that they are criminals.

They include Javed, a leader of the Welfare Party of India who is also called “Javed Pump” because of his water pumps business, Umar Khalid, an activist associated with the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO); Fazal Khan, a local leader of the Samajwadi Party, Shah Alam, district president of the Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Zeeshan Rahmani, a local leader of the AIMIM, and Ashish Mittal, a doctor from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the general secretary of the All-India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha. 

While Javed was arrested and jailed in Deoria district, at least 200 km from his home town, the rest five accused are on the run. A non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against them, and a reward of Rs 25,000 for information to locate them has also been announced. 

He was booked on July 16 under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), 1980, which allows the state to detain a person without charges for 12 months.

NO SEIZURE MEMO

Contrary to his family’s claim that Javed went to the police station, after he was called for questioning on his own, riding his own scooty on June 10 evening, cops alleged in an FIR (0177/2022, PS Kareli) that he was arrested following a raid at his house on the tip-off of an informer.

“…an informer told us that accused Javed Ahmad (read Mohammad), who was involved in the violence, is present in his house with a tamancha (country-made pistol) in his possession. He can be nabbed and the pistol can be seized if the information is acted upon swiftly,” reads the FIR.

The informant cop, Ravi Kumar Katiyar of Kareli police station, said a raid was accordingly conducted at the accused residence at JK Ashiana Colony at Kareli, and he was apprehended while “trying to flee from the rare gate of his house”.

Upon physical search of his body, the police alleged that a 315-bore pistol along with a live bullet was seized from the right pocket of his pant.

“Asked to show the licence mandatory to possess the firearm, he failed to produce it and offered apologies. Subsequently, he was arrested,” claimed the FIR.

Notably, the law requires a duly signed record of independent witness testimony to validate any such recovery from an accused. But, in this case, there is no document as required by the law. 

The police claimed, “People who around came there during the arrest, but when they were asked to testify, they refused to comply and left without revealing their names and addresses.”

Javed’s wife, Parveen Fatima and his youngest daughter Sumaiya Fatima were illegally detained the same evening for two days after the police took him away on June 10. While they were let off, Javed was taken into custody and declared a “mastermind” of the incident.

The police claimed (FIR no. 0179/2022, PS Kareli) recovery of two more firearms (315-bore pistol and 12-bore pistol) with four live shells was made during the demolition of his house on June 12.

The cops alleged it was discovered in black colour polythene from below a mattress by the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) officials when they were taking out the leftover belongings of the family to safety before demolition.  

The police also claimed to have found a khukuri (a machete type sharp edge weapon) and a pamphlet, allegedly asking people to gather at Atala at 2 pm on Friday and violently deal with those who create obstacles. 

Notably, the demolition was carried out in the presence of thousands of people and under full media glare, but no such recovery was shown on TV channels — which were doing live streaming of the incident.

The police also failed to find anyone from the spectators or neighbours to sign the seizure memo at the spot. It was allegedly signed by the accused and police officials. 

News channels showed a poster that said, “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty,” calling it incriminating material.

SELECTIVE FACEBOOK POSTS 

On June 4, 2022, an FIR was registered against Javed at Kareli police station for hurting religious sentiments over a Facebook post about the allegedly one-side investigation carried out by the UP police after a protest against anti-prophet remarks turned violent in Kanpur and a second post on the independence of the judiciary.

In the post, according to the FIR (0167/2022, P. S. Kareli), the accused had written, “Thirty people have been arrested so far in connection with the Kanpur violence. The police are mulling over invoking the Gangster Act. Against whom will the action be taken, it’s big question. No one will make any indecent comment against any religion if the government today stops tolerating it. But it is apparent that the governments are silent, thereby promoting such elements. The central government, the state government, the MP, the MLA should respect all religions, but this does not seem to be happening for the past few years.” 

In another post, the FIR alleged, he had stated, “They also have control over the courts. We trusted the court. And therefore, they are today able to build the Ram temple. We are no more ready to be cheated again.”

The two posts are not there on his timeline. His family said that he had deleted the Facebook post at the request of police officials in Prayagraj.  

However, the police have annexed screenshots of the posts with the notice invoking the NSA against him. 

He also wrote about the police refusing to register an FIR against the organisers of a religious gathering in Prayagraj on January 30, 2022, where Hindu monks declared India a Hindu nation.

“Why did the Kanpur violence occur? Why does the state government not investigate the real disease? Until when will people like Nupur Sharma and Yati Narsinghanand make obscene remarks against the Prophet Muhammad, and the government and police will keep quiet? Yeti had made indecent remarks against Islam a few months ago at Sangam in Allahabad. Many people tried to lodge an FIR against him. I myself, too, had registered a complaint with the SHO and the CO. But nothing happened till date. Why are such people allowed to use abusive language for any religion. How long will Muslims continue to be targeted? People will naturally get angry…,” Javed has written in the post. 

The family said the administration called a meeting on June 9 to stop Friday protests. Javed had attended the meeting.

He wrote on Facebook the next day, “Bewajaah koi bhi sadak par ikattha bilkul na ho jisse poori millat ko nuksaan uthaana pade, jumma padhein aur apne ghar jaakar dua kariye aman aur shanti mohobbat kaayam rahe.”

(Do not gather on the road together without reason. The entire community will have to bear the brunt. Offer your Friday prayers, go home and pray that harmony, peace and love will prevail.)

He further wrote, “Yeh shehr hamesha shanti-priya raha hai. Haalaat ke maddenazar, humein khamoshi se jumma namaaz padh kar Allah se dua maangni chahiye amno aman ke liye. Sabko qanoon ke daayre mein apni baat rakhne ka adhikaar hai. Memorandum banayein hum sab mil kar.”

(This city has always been peace-loving. Keeping in mind the circumstances, we should quietly offer our Friday prayers and pray to Allah for peace. Everyone has the right to put forward their view within the boundaries of the law. We should come together and prepare a memorandum.)

ATTEMPT TO IMPLICATE AFREEN FATIMA TOO? 

Without any evidence, Prayagraj’s Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Kumar, while talking to the media, accused one of Javed’s daughters Afreen Fatima, a student activist from the Aligarh Muslim University and Jawaharlal Nehru University and a critic of the BJP, of “being involved in such activities”. 

The police have annexed in the NSA notice a purported statement given to cops by Javed during questioning. “My daughter Afreen Fatima is highly educated. Whatever I post on social, I do it with her consultation,” he allegedly told the police. 

The investigators claimed when he was asked about his post regarding the alleged political pressure on the judiciary; he said he wrote the post on the insistence of his daughter. 

In the alleged confession, he said, according to the police, he now realises that he has committed a blunder. 

“Not trusting the court has proved to be a big mistake. I won’t do anything like this from now on. I will also ask my daughter, Afreen Fatima, not to indulge in anti-national activities,” the investigators have quoted him as saying. 

DUE PROCESS ABANDONED 

Javed was issued a notice on July 15 to explain why he should not be booked under the NSA. His lawyers had one-month time (till August 15) to file a reply. 

But, surprisingly, the Governor approved the district magistrate’s injunction to book the accused under the draconian law on July 21 — much before the expiry of the time period for the accused to file a reply. It means he was even denied his right to be heard once before being booked. 

Both Prayagraj SSP Kumar and District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri could not be reached for comments. 

A senior officer close to the investigation told NewsClick, “We have all the evidence which we will place before the court for consideration. Let the court decide.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Cases Against Prayagraj Activists for June 10 Violence Narrate Saga of Bias appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Supreme Court has granted an interim relief to former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Spokesperson Nupur Sharma directing that no coercive steps be taken against her in connection with the multiple First Information Reports (FIR) registered against her in different states over her remarks about Prophet Mohammed. Sharma had made the offensive remarks during a national television debate show that aired on Times Now on May 26.

The Court stated that the same relief will cover any future FIR or complaint which may be registered or entertained against her with respect to the same telecast, reported LiveLaw.

The same bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala, who had earlier refused to entertain her plea, have now reportedly issued notice on a fresh Miscellaneous Application filed by Sharma to revive her earlier plea. She has claimed that she is receiving rape and death threats after the Court’s critical comments. As a result, she has approached the Apex court instead of availing alternate remedy by approaching the High Court as directed by the Supreme Court.

With the purpose of awarding her protection to enable her to avail remedies under law, the Court issued notice to the Union and States where the FIRs have been registered to “explore the modality of giving her security from life threats,” reported LiveLaw.

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India is still recovering from the shocking beheading of an Udaipur tailor by two Islamic hardliners, and now a cleric of a dargah in Ajmer has given yet another hateful call for violence!  Khadim Salman Chishti has now offered his home to any person who beheads suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Chishti made this offer in a video that went viral on social media.Police have arrested the cleric.

“You have to give a reply to all Muslim countries. I am saying this from Ajmer, Rajasthan and this message is from Huzur Khwaja Baba ka Darbar,” said Chishti in the video, referring to the renowned Sufi shrine. It is noteworthy though that the shrine has a rich and proud history of welcoming people of all faiths. In fact, the office of the Ajmer Dargah Dewan, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, rejected the hateful message of the video soon after it went viral, and said that Chishti’s words cannot be considered a message from the dargah. According to Dargah officials, the statements made by Chishti were highly condemnable.

Meanwhile, Chishti claims this offer was in response to the derogatory remarks made by Sharma about Prophet Mohammed in a television news debate in June. Readers would recall that the remarks had sparked nationwide protests, many of which turned violent.

Rajasthan police have now arrested the cleric. According to syndicated feed carried in multiple publications, Chishti was arrested on the night of July 5, 2022 after an FIR was filed against him based on what he had said in the video clip. Navbharat Times reports that Chishti is what is colloquially called a “history sheeter”, i.e a person who has been previously charged in many cases. Local police said that the accused has previous pending cases of murder, attempt to murder and fighting against him.

The viral video brings back memories of the video by Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad who recorded how they brutally murdered the Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal for supporting Sharma’s comments. Even then, Muslim individuals and socio-cultural groups had condemned the inflammatory statements made by the duo.

However, trolls on social media have used the successive incidents in Rajasthan to raise panic among masses. Still others unearthed the 1992 Ajmer serial rape case wherein local girls were sexually assaulted and blackmailed. As many as 18 serial offenders were charged and eight were convicted for life. Four of those were later acquitted in 2001.

On July 7, some news portals such as ANI posted a video wherein the police advised Chishti to say he was intoxicated while making the video. The news once again enraged a section of people who felt that the administration was trying to protect Muslims.

Related:

Hate Watch: Ayodhya ascetic calls for hanging of Udaipur murderers
Nupur Sharma single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country: SC
Indian Muslims condemn Udaipur beheading, demand justice for victim
Shocking! Man beheaded in Udaipur for social media post supporting Nupur Sharma

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On July 1, 2022, Supreme Court of India rebuked Nupur Sharma, the suspended spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while dismissing her petition to club FIRs against her in different states with the one in Delhi over her remarks on the Prophet Mohammed.

The vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala came down heavily on Nupur Sharma for making “disturbing” and derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed and igniting communal rift in the country. The bench reportedly held that she has a “loose tongue” and held her “single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country”. This, just days after a tailor was beheaded for allegedly supporting and sharing her remarks.

The Court reportedly remarked, “What is her business to make these remarks? The way she has ignited emotions across the country… This lady is single handedly responsible for what is happening in the country.”

When brought to the court’s attention by Nupur Sharma’s counsel Senior Advocate Mahinder Singh that she had given out a written apology, the Court said, “She should have gone to the TV and apologised to the nation…She was too late to withdraw…and too she withdraws conditionally, saying if sentiments hurt.”

The bench also pulled up the Delhi Police for their inaction. The Court reportedly asked, “What has Delhi Police done? Don’t make us open our mouth. When you get an FIR registered against XYZ, he is arrested immediately… Nobody has dared to touch you. What if she is the spokesperson of a party? She thinks she has back-up power and can make any statement without respect to the law of the land? These are not religious people at all, they make statements to provoke.”

When it was brought up by Senior Advocate Singh that there was threat to her life, Justice Surya Kant reportedly retorted, “She has threat or she has become a security threat?”

It is important to note here that Alt News Fact-checker Mohammad Zubair, who had brought to light Sharma’s comments on Prophet was reportedly arrested by the Delhi Police on Monday over a tweet he had posted in 2018.

As reported by LiveLaw, the Supreme Court also expressed its reservation on Sharma bypassing the lower courts and directly approaching the apex court. “The petition smacks of her arrogance, that the Magistrates of the country are too small for her.” The Supreme Court reportedly observed that the channel had no business to discuss the matter which is sub-judice, “except to promote an agenda”. It added that if Sharma was aggrieved by alleged misuse of the debate, she should have lodged an FIR against the anchor.

The bench reportedly declined to provide any relief to Sharma as Justice Surya Kant told her counsel, “No, Mr Singh, when the conscience of the court is not satisfied, we must mould the law accordingly.”

CJP was among first to call out Times Now’s bias towards BJP’s Nupur Sharma

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) was perhaps among the first organisations to raise the issue and write to Times Now about their News Hour debate show ‘The Gyanvapi Files’ that aired on May 26, 2022. The CJP wrote to Times Now on June 1, soon after studying the issue in detail, after Mohd Zubair of ALtNews had tweeted exposing the story on May 27. The Times Now debate seemed one-sided and partisan, and had thus violated “the basic principles of journalism and those laid down by the esteemed News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA),” wrote CJP. The letter highlighted how anchor Navika Kumar appeared biased towards Nupur Sharma and did not even attempt to intervene even when Sharma made remarks about Prophet Mohammed. The narrative of the show appeared to suggest that it intended to spread hatred, stigmatise and demean the Muslim community on national television, on a channel that is accessible and within the reach of a large number of people and has a huge societal influence.

Nupur Sharma, then the BJP’s national spokesperson said, “They (Muslims) should be told to shut up and stop insulting our (Hindu) religion. Otherwise, we are also capable of hitting them where it hurts. They may call it a fountain as much as they want, but the reality is that even the Supreme Court ordered immediate protection of the area…” She then went on to make even more comments targeting Muslims asking, “Claims made in the Quran about your flying horses… that the earth is flat …should I make fun of it?” But the shocker was when she alleged that Prophet Mohammed, revered by all Muslims, married and defiled a child.

Related:

BJP dumps spokesperson Nupur Sharma, Naveen K. Jindal in damage control move

Student leader, Abdul Rehman arrested for protesting against hate-monger, Nupur Sharma

After Times Now debate Nupur Sharma gets online threats from trolls

Shocking! Man beheaded in Udaipur for social media post supporting Nupur Sharma

The post Nupur Sharma single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country: SC appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A frenzied crowd calling itself Ashiq-e-Rasool (Lovers of the Prophet) menacingly surrounds a house in Bhiwandi, a predominantly Muslim suburb in Mumbai. They are angry about a post which was put up by a young boy indirectly supporting BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, now suspended from the party for her uncharitable remarks on Prophet Muhammad. This young boy, an engineering student by the name of Saad Ansari is religiously agnostic and asked Muslims to grow up rather than behave like overgrown kids over the issue of blasphemy. In his post, he asked the following question to Muslims: “A 50 year old man marrying a 6-9 year old kid is clear child abuse….. I don’t know how you people support this. Will you give your 6-year-old daughter to a 50-year-old man? (Think about it)”.

There can be a number of ways in which Muslims could have responded to the anxiety of this young Muslim boy. They could have told him about the historical context when such marriages were common place or they could have argued (like many Barelvis do) that some of the things that the Prophet did is beyond human comprehension and hence it is futile to talk about them. But then, any rational and civic behaviour is too much to ask from some Muslims these days. They surrounded his house, abused and slapped him and forced him to recite the Shahada (the belief in oneness of God). Not content, they formally lodged a complaint against him on the basis of which he was arrested by the Mumbai police.

Saad Ansari is a young boy of exemplary courage and he must be saluted for that. But imagine the moral vacuousness of the crowd which forced him to chant the first Kalima. These are the same Muslims who repeat ad nauseam that Islam cannot be forced on anyone. They argue that Islam is about submission and that it spread through its teaching of justice and fairness rather than through force. And yet, they have no compunction to force it on one of their own who dares to question the dominant understanding of Islam. Do Muslims really have a double face; a moderate one for popular consumption and a ‘real’ one when they are in a majority? In the context of Bhiwandi, the majoritarian Muslim impulse was that it will not brook any sort of divergence from their understanding of the Prophet or Islam.

Moderate Muslims have consistently called out the intolerance within the Muslim community. Being Muslims, they know that without the space for dissent, the community would remain mired in a mentality which is truly antediluvian. It will never face up to modern challenges, like embracing modern ideas of dissent and freedom of expression.

Anyone who seeks to tinker with the dominant ideational pattern within Muslims is labelled as a heretic who is conspiring to defame the community. This is not just the story of Saad Ansari; it has been the story of many before him, including Hamid Dalwai and Asghar Ali Engineer. They too had to face social ostracism and what not from the community simply because they were arguing for social and religious reform.

When religious chauvinism overwhelms the mind, one does not simply demand laws on blasphemy but also primarily curbs any moderate or dissenting voices within the community. We can clearly see it is not just Nupur Sharma who is being threatened but also young Muslims like Saad are forced to keep silent, to remain in the little cocoon which has been made for them.

There was a lot of noise about Nupur Sharma but then we have complete silence on the issue of Saad Ansari. Where are the voices of Muslim journalists and social media influencers who always write about Muslim victimization? Why don’t they write about the threats and bullying of Saad Ansari? But then, it is too much to expect this from them. Instead of educating Muslims to dissociate from the politics of blasphemy, they were actively fanning it. The only Muslim there is to write about is the Muslim victim; all other issues of concern within the community have disappeared into thin air. 

More importantly, where are the Hindu liberals who were teaching the Muslim moderates to understand the pain of the community during the Nupur Sharma episode. Why are they not condemning what happened to Saad? Why are their pens silent now? We know why. Their pens only move when the victim is a Muslim and the aggressor is a Hindu. Incidents which happen with the likes of Saad do not fit their narrative and hence such stories are conveniently dropped. Intolerance is never a one- way street. If we have to call out the intolerance of the majority community, nothing should stop us from calling out the intolerance within also.

 Decades earlier, Hamid Dalwai was bold enough to realize and write about how both forms of intolerance feed upon each other and must be fought together. Moderate Muslims have always made this connection. Liberal Hindus would be better off without telling us what to do and what political positions to take. They are no one to lecture us on how to understand the pain of the Muslims in the given political context. As Muslims, we feel and experience this pain each passing day. But that has not blinded us to overlook what is happening in the community in the name of protecting Islam.

I pity those who bullied Saad into reciting the Kalima. If the intention was to re-instil faith into this Muslim youth, then they have already failed. For faith is not something which can be imposed from the outside. The obverse might actually happen. Saad will never to able to reconcile his faith in Islam as he has seen the thuggery that the followers of this religion are capable of.

—–

A regular contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Arshad Alam is a writer and researcher on Islam and Muslims in South Asia.

This article was first published on NewAgeIslam.com

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On June 19, 2022, a hardline outfit and regular hate offender group named Hindu Sena reportedly organised an event at Vishwagiri temple in Rajouri Garden on Sunday in support of suspended and sacked BJP leaders Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, reported the New Indian Express.

The event, organised by the outfit’s National president Vishnu Gupta and its Delhi president Deepak Malik, began with the recitation of Hanuman Chalisa and reportedly ended with swords being distributed. Interestingly, while Malik reportedly denied any such claims of swords being distributed, Gupta didn’t.

Malik reportedly said, “We did not distribute swords. People brought swords from their homes as symbols of support for Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jinda.” He claimed that Sena colleagues had brought only three-four swords from a gurudwara and gifted them to people just for clicking photographs, reported the New Indian Express. But Gupta openly said, “We distributed the swords for the protection of our Hindu women. This was only for the purpose of self-defence.” He further claimed that Hindu Sena had distributed around 10,000 in Delhi NCR, reported by the New Indian Express.

Shockingly, the event was allegedly organised without police permission because it was an indoor and personal programme, claimed Malik. It has been reported that a senior police officer shall be inquiring into the said event.

Amidst all this, it is important to remember that people are prohibited by law from carrying such weapons under the Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules 1962 . The use of such sharp-edged deadly weapons for disrupting public harmony or creating an environment of fear attracts punishment under the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC) as well as the IPC. They are neither allowed to be carried in public places or in public transport. However, A Trishul, for example, is a sharp object and could be used as a weapon. Indeed, its significance in religion comes from it being a weapon wielded by prominent Hindu deities. And though there is no religious mandate for carrying one, these tridents, often their smaller versions, are being distributed by right-wing groups often during socio-cultural or religious gatherings.

You may read more about the legal definition of weapon, and how right-wing groups find ways to subvert the law here.

Hindu Sena’s track record

Recently on June 11, the right-wing group claimed that Delhi Police had detained 12 of its volunteers during a march organised in support of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Vishnu Gupta told The Quint, “If Ms Nupur Sharma has said something wrong they should take legal action and not terrorise the society with stone pelting. The Indian Government must investigate such rioters under NSA and also investigate international fundings to such rioters.”

On March 6, 2022, the Hindu Sena, which is reportedly affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), allegedly also declared support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Hindu Sabha members allegedly chanted slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat-Russia Dosti Zindabad’ as they marched in Connaught Place, central Delhi with saffron, Indian and Russian flags in hand. It also supported the ban of hijab inside classrooms, a controversy that hindered education of Muslim girls in Karnataka for at least a month.

Before this in 2019, the Hindu Sena even celebrated Queen Victoria’s birth anniversary, claiming that the British brought India together as a nation! In yet another example, the members of Hindu Sena held a protest on Valentine’s Day in Coimbatore as they reportedly ripped the cards and set them on fire outside the Coimbatore district collector’s office in February 2020.

In January 2021, a protest was organised by Hindu Sena against farmers at Singhu border who gave them an ultimatum to clear the area. In September 2021, the Delhi Police had arrested five members of the Hindu Sena for allegedly vandalising the official residence of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi in New Delhi.

The group’s journey has been traced by The Hindu, “The fringe group, Hindu Sena, which came into existence in 2011, started with 50 members. Though it registered a steady growth till 2014 to boast a membership of 4 lakh, it added only another 1 lakh new members over the past six years.” According to Gupta, the Hindu Sena accepts members “who are already trained in Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh shakhas” or those who “want a Hindu Rashtra”, and that the outfit now has presence in 16 states, and over 10 lakh people have joined it through social media platforms.

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Trishul Diksha

The post Hindu Sena distributes swords in the support of Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Claim: Kolkata Police constable shot dead by people protesting Nupur Sharma’s comments against Prophet Mohammed

Busted! Police had confirmed that the constable shot himself dead after opening fire on passersby near the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission, killing one woman who was riding pillion on a bike and injuring two others.

In wake of an outbreak of violence at a demonstration held in Howrah, to protest derogatory comments made by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma, a disturbing image started circulating on social media. It showed a crowd gathered around the corpse of a West Bengal policeman who had suffered a gun-shot wound to his head. Some social media accounts claimed that the policeman was killed by protesters, and the fake news spread like wildfire!

Luckily after police started taking action against people spreading fake news, these posts were taken down. In fact, the Kolkata Police even issued a warning against spreading hate and fake news:

pic.twitter.com/Crhhd7ipyr

— Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) June 12, 2022

India Today’s Fake News War Room (AFWA) and fact-checking website Alt News, both investigated the matter and discovered that he had actually died by suicide. The deceased policeman, identified as constable Choudup Lepcha, who was part of the Fifth Battalion of the Kolkata Armed Police, had actually died by suicide after opening fire with his service weapon.

The incident took place on Lower Range Road near the Bangladeshi High Commission located at Park Circus, where Lepcha was posted. He opened fire and injured at least two people, and killed one woman, identified as a physiotherapist named Reema Singh, who was passing by, riding pillion on a bike.

The actual circumstances of his death were also reported by other news media outlets including NDTV, The New Indian Express, and Hindustan Times.

NDTV filed this video report shortly after the shocking incident took place:

Praveen Kumar Tripathi, Additional Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, told The New Indian Express, “It seems Lepcha who shot himself on his neck was suffering from depression. It is yet to be ascertained whether his act was because of his mental condition.”

Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal told Hindustan Times that Lepcha’s father had died in service in 2017, and he had therefore been recruited on compassionate grounds in 2021. He had resumed duty after a 10-day leave of absence on the day he took his life.

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The post Hate Buster! Kolkata cop was not killed by mob protesting Nupur Sharma’s anti-Prophet comments appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkarhas recently announced his plans to organise a demonstration on June 17 after Friday prayers to protest the derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed made by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

Prakash Ambedkar, who is the grandson of freedom fighter and architect of the Constitution, Dr. BR Ambedkar, is a prominent Dalit rights activist and claims that his protest is aimed at seeking justice for ending the “politics of hate” with “brotherhood”. He has appealed to Mumbaikars to join his Aman Rally that will begin at 2 PM at the VBA office in Jhula Maidan in Madanpura and conclude at Azad Maidan.

नफरत की सियासत को अमन और भाईचारे से ही मिटाया जासकता है.!

आओ साथ जुडकर जम्हुरी फर्ज निभाते है,
मुल्क और संविधान को, मजबूत बनाते है

मुंबईवासीओं से अपील है के अमन रॅली को पुरअमन तरीके से कामयाब करें.!!!@Prksh_Ambedkar pic.twitter.com/tPQg2XPyj7

— Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (@VBAforIndia) June 16, 2022

However, given how various Muslim socio-cultural organisations are advising against the rally, in the interest of maintaining law and order, Ambedkar’s insistence on pushing through with the rally is rather curious.

Muslim organisations oppose rally

Meanwhile, several Muslim social organisations are opposed to this rally. In fact, the Raza Academy has written an open letter to Ambedkar, urging him to reconsider his decision in wake of the prevailing law and order situation in the country. Readers would recall that anti-Nupur Sharma protests have been taking place in different parts of the country and have turned violent in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Therefore, the Raza Academy fears that the protest could be highjacked by miscreants who could spark violence. “Dear friend, we hereby very earnestly appeal to your gracious self that the venture which you are undertaking with undoubted sincerity and zeal is very likely to be distorted and deformed by miscreants, and thus transformed into a grotesque and harmful event that would in turn damage our noble mission instead of promoting it,” said Raza Academy. The letter signed by Alhaaj Mohammed Saeed Noori (Founder and President, Raza Academy) and Sayed Moinuddin Ashraf (a.ka Moin Miya, a patron), further said, “Due to this apprehension which is influenced by previous unpleasant and painful experiences, we petition you to please call off the protest that you have planned and pray that you join the desired mission with a more infallible and dependable mode of activity.”

The letter may be read here:

Farid Sheikh, who heads the Mumbai Aman Committee, dismissed Ambedkar’s protest plans as a political stunt. “Woh siyasat kar rahe hain (he is engaging in politics). It is unnecessary, his party is struggling for political relevance. Unki niyat mein khot hai (His intentions are suspect),” he said adding, “We have held a series of meetings with shopkeepers, merchants, traders and other sections of the Muslim community in Mumbai and nobody is in favour of such a protest.” He further said, “We advise community members not to participate in this protest, as it is quite possible some miscreants will trigger violence and then the whole community will have to suffer.”

Similarly, the Ulema of the Sunni Bilal Masjid has also appealed for peace and requested people not to engage in protests. “Nobody has the right to take the law into their own hands,” said the Ulema adding, “You are welcome to pursue a legal course. If not today, then tomorrow, that lady (Nupur Sharma) will land up behind bars.” The Ulema had called for an urgent meeting of all senior clerics as soon as he got work of Ambedkar’s protest plans. He also had a discussion with local police. Addressing a press conference where these policemen as well as senior clerics were present, the Ulema further said, “Such violence is against Islam and against humanity. Don’t engage in such acts that bring shame to the community. We have held detailed discussions with lawyers and knowledgeable members of the community and decided that it is better to pursue legal action, instead of coming out on the streets and allowing emotions to turn into violence.”

Mumbai Police on high alert

Ever since the protests of June 10, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil has instructed senior police officials to take appropriate precautions and keep the situation under control.The Home Minister has also appealed to all to maintain peace and take care that law and order situation does not arise anywhere in the state.

The Maharashtra administration is on high alert. Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey told SabrangIndia that he had requested the Dalit leader “to call of the protest”. He warned, “If he failed to call it off, he would face strict action.” Pandey further said that while he respected Ambedkar’s commitment to rights of minorities, such a protest “was not conducive to maintaining peace and harmony in the city.”

Previous instances of peaceful protests suddenly turning violent

The apprehensions about an outbreak of violence are not unfounded given what transpired in Kanpur, Allahabad, Ranchi and Howrah. In fact, in many cases, it is alleged that the violence was sparked by vested interests who used miscreants to infiltrate peaceful protests and then start pelting stones. Similar tactics were also allegedly used in violence that transpired during the Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti processions in Himmatnagar, Anand and Vadodara in Gujarat, Jahangirpuri in Delhi, and Khargone in Madhya Pradesh.

Therefore, the question remains – what does Prakash Ambedkar hope to accomplish by organising this protest on June 17? We tried speaking to Ambedkar, but he remained unreachable. This story will be updated with his quote later.

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The post What does Prakash Ambedkar hope to achieve by organising anti-Nupur Sharma protests? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A 19-year-old youth from Bhiwandi in Thane, Maharashtra survived a mob attack on June 12, 2022 after he posted a remark on social media commenting on suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma’s controversial speech. According to India Today, the youth was also remanded to five-day police custody after he was booked for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and creating enmity between two groups.

Bhiwandi resident Shaad Ashfaq Ansari put up a post on social media regarding Sharma’s speech. In his Instagram story Ansari challenged the rationale of a 50-year-old marrying an underage girl. In the subsequent story he clarified that while he did not support any religion, he voiced concern about an intolerable world that reacted to criticism of a person who died many years ago.

Essentially, Ansari exercised his freedom of speech by questioning the strong reactions to Sharma’s dubious comments. However, in supporting her speech, Ansari ended up attracting the anger of atleast around 125 people in the area. A huge mob gathered outside his house and demanded that the youth apologise for his post. Further, the mob proceeded to slap, thrash and force the boy to read a Kalma (Islamic prayer).

Such behaviour is quite similar to that of Hindutva goons, who target unassuming Muslims and force them to chant Hanuman Chalisa. Here, Ansari went through a similar ordeal. Worse still, when the police arrived, they took away the boy citing a complaint from 18 persons identified and have to appear before court Faraz Fazal Bahaudding alias Baba. He was remanded to police custody for five days under Section 153A. Following coverage from India Today, the police then identified the 18 people who assaulted Ansari and charged them for unlawful assembly, rioting, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation among other IPC sections. Police also increased security personnel in the area to avoid any kind of untoward incident.

On June 10, large sections of India’s Muslim community reacted in a collective  manner against Sharma’s anti-Islamic remarks, particularly against Prophet Mohammad. Her remarks even outraged several Muslim, Gulf countries that demanded an apology from India.

In recent days over 400 people have been arrested for demanding Sharma’s arrest. However, in Ansari’s case, the mob acted the same as right-wing activists who penalize Muslims for wearing skull caps or travelling in public transport with other Hindu folk.

The Mumbai and Parbhani police of Maharashtra have filed FIRs against Sharma as well as TV news anchor Navika Kumar. However, as no arrests have been initiated by the authorities even by June 15, the Muslim community simmers in anger.

Outbursts have taken the form of alleged stone pelting in Kanpur, Ranchi, Prayagraj (Allahabad) and in Maharashtra’s case via a mob attacking a teenager in Bhiwandi.

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The post Thane youth thrashed for using free speech? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In light of the widespread anger against suspended BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s recent hate during a Times Now debate, Maharashtra police filed an FIR against senior TV journalist Navika Kumar.

According to a syndicated newsfeed, the Parbhani district police named Kumar and Sharma; the latter made objectionable remarks about Prophet Mohammad and Islam during a prime-time debate hosted by the former. At the time, the anchor Kumar had failed to put an end to Sharma’s anti-Islam slurs.

Therefore, a complaint filed by a Muslim cleric on June 13 said both Sharma and Kumar should be accused of intending to outrage religious feelings. Kumar is also Times Now Navbharat’s Editor-in-Chief and Times Network Group Editor.

“Kumar and Sharma are booked under section 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” the police official told media persons.

While this FIR includes Kumar, already many complaints have been filed against Sharma with regards to this case. Earlier, Mumbai police had also registered an FIR against Sharma on May 28. However, no arrests have been reported since. Although the mass outrage from Gulf countries garnered Sharma’s suspension from the primary membership of the Bharaiya Jantata Party (BJP) on June 5, Indian Muslims on Friday gathered to demand her immediate arrest as well as that of recently-expelled BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal.

Huge protests by Muslims took place in multiple cities such as: Delhi, Srinagar, Lucknow, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Sahranpur, Firozabad, Hyderabad, Ranchi, Kolkata, Howrah, Panvel, Rudrapur, Jaspur, Haridwar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kalupur, Khadia, Shahpur and Mirzapur.

People unequivocally condemned the BJP leaders for targeting the Muslim community. In many places, the protest ended peacefully within a short span of time. However, in regions like Prayagraj and Ranchi, police resorted to lathi-charge and tear-gassing to disperse the crowd. Overall, there have been over 417 arrests across India since Friday. Of these as many as 92 arrests were reported in Prayagraj.

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Right-wing calls Ranchi boy’s ordeal a “victim card” tactic

Evolution of Bulldozer Injustice

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