The working committee of the organisation demands the arrest of the guilty of blasphemy and strict implementation of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – At a working committee meeting under the chairmanship of its President, Maulana Arshad Madani, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind took expressed concern over growing sectarianism, extremism, law and order situation, and the discrimination against the Muslim minority in the country.
Taking stock of the prevalent situation, the members came to the conclusion that the sign is not good for the peace, unity, and solidarity of the country. The meeting was held at the Madani Hall of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg here on June 22.
At the culmination of the meeting, the working committee unanimously passed two key resolutions:
One, those who dared to insult the Prophet Muhammad should be arrested immediately and punished according to the law which should serve as a lesson for others. Suspension or expulsion from the party it is not enough for their crime.
Two, the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 should be strictly enforced. Any attempt to amend it will have disastrous consequences. The Act clearly states in Section 4 that the religious character of a place of worship must be the same as it was on August 15, 1947.
Similarly, as stated in Section 4 in clause 2, on the commencement of this Act, any suit, appeal or another proceeding with respect to the conversion of the religious character of any place of worship, existing on the 15th day of August 1947, is pending before any court, tribunal or other authority, the same shall abate, and no suit, appeal or other proceedings with respect to any such matter shall lie on or after such commencement in any court, tribunal or other authority.
Hence, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has intervened in the petition filed in the Supreme Court against the said law.
Addressing the working committee, Maulana Arshad Madani drew the attention of the working committee to the critical times when chaos, sectarianism and lawlessness are at peak in the entire country. People are being deprived of their constitutional and democratic rights. Even peaceful protests carried are being labelled antinational and those who take part in them are arrested, tortured and their homes are demolished.
Maulana Madani pointed out that the Holy Prophet was deliberately made the target of slander, but when Muslims protested against the sacrilege with a demand for the arrest of the culprit, they were dealt with sticks, bullets and custodial torture. Not content with all the atrocities heaped on the community, bulldozers were used to raze their houses leave alone mass arrests with trumped-up cases under serious provisions.
“What all this points to is the work of the courts is now usurped by the police and the governments. It seems the rule of law in India has come to an end. It seems the courts are no longer needed in the country,” he observed.
The maulana affirmed that protest is a democratic right of every Indian citizen but the present rulers have two criteria to judge the protest. If Muslims protest, they are treated like criminals. But if people from the majority community protest, even carry out acts of violence on streets, blow up trains and stations, they are not even charged with a mild baton to disperse. The discrimination between the two sets of protesters on the basis of their religion is evident from the recent incidents.
“Are those who protested peacefully children of the enemy,” Maulana Madani asked. “Where are those who raised slogans like ‘One India’, “great India’, ‘Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas’ (With the cooperation of all, development of all)?”
Maulana Madani recalled that the letter from the BJP office on the suspension of the insolent leaders also states that the party abides by the constitution of the country and respects all religions. If that’s the case, why are those who have hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims roaming free? Why have they not been arrested so far while those who protested against them are languishing in jails under severe charges? Could there be a worse example of double standards?”
