The accusations against the Islamic scholars undermine the very principles of justice and democracy that our Constitution seeks to uphold, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind chief Syed Sadatullah Hussaini said
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, one of the premier Muslim organisations in the country, has voiced concern over the recent judgment by an NIA-ATS court which convicted Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, Maulana Umar Gautam and a dozen other people for their alleged involvement in illegal conversion cases.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Jamaat chief Syed Sadatullah Hussaini expressed profound dismay and concern over the court ruling sentencing them under sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 417,120B, 153A, 153B, 295A, 121A, 123 and the Illegal Conversion Act (Sections 3, 4, and 5).
“We strongly differ with the hon’ble court’s assessment regarding levelling of such grave charges. In a democratic country like India, who can force someone to change his religion? Islam does not allow it at all. Every individual has the right to choose, practice, and propagate the religion of his/her choice, and this right is enshrined in our Constitution. No authority can deprive a citizen of this right. The gravity of the allegations — terrorism, criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity, and plotting offenses against the state — are not only baseless but also set a deeply troubling precedent. Such accusations, in our view, undermine the very principles of justice and democracy that our Constitution seeks to uphold,” the Jamaat statement said.
It said it seems that the entire case has been created to send a certain message to people from minority communities who are practicing their constitutionally guaranteed right of practice and propagation of faith without any fear or coercion.
“The manner in which Maulana Siddiqui and Maulana Gautam were arrested and implicated coupled with the sensationalised reactions of certain media outlets, showed that the entire exercise was meant to exploit public sentiments by creating a charged atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and hatred for gaining political mileage. This case sets a dangerous precedent, casting a shadow over the fundamental right to practice and propagate the religion of one’s choice. Creating a communal and emotionally charged atmosphere to divert attention from real public issues is highly regrettable,” the Jamaat chief said.
