Team Clarion
LUCKNOW – Prominent Shia scholar and senior cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi’s recent visit to Abbas Bagh cemetery in the Uttar Pradesh’s capital city was disrupted by some illegal encroachers who raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans.
The cleric visited the cemetery to verify reports of illegal construction. “As we arrived there, hooligans gathered and started chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’,” he told mediapersons.
The court has stayed any construction at the Abbas Bagh cemetery, he said. “Despite the court orders, illegal encroachments are continuing under the very nose of the police. Houses are being constructed on the cemetery land, which is a blatant violation of the court’s directive,” he asserted.
Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi has engaged with the Lucknow police administration, urging them to halt illegal constructions and demolish those already built. “If the constructions, made in defiance of the court’s stay order, are not demolished, it will constitute contempt of court,” he warned.
The Maulana further detailed previous efforts to address the encroachment issue, including holding several protests. “Officials had assured us that they would prevent illegal encroachments, but the reality is disappointing and distressing,” he remarked.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi expressed concern over the continued illegal occupation of the cemetery land. “If the Lucknow police and district administration do not take serious action, we will escalate our protests during Muharram,” he announced.
The cemetery land is registered with the Karbala Waqf Board, which has repeatedly requested the district and police administration to address illegal occupation. “Despite several appeals to the district administration and even a complaint to the chief minister, no serious action has been taken,” he added.
Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi hopes that the authorities will soon take effective measures to resolve the issue and protect the sanctity of Abbas Bagh cemetery.
