Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Six Muslim students were arrested for holding a protest at IIMT University in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut against the imprisonment of a fellow student for offering namaz on the campus.
According to reports, around 400 students staged a silent demonstration demanding the release of Khalid Pradhan leading to a police action on Monday. Police used lathis to disperse the crowd which was protesting peacefully.
“Our university also celebrates puja, but why this one-sided torture on Muslims who are fasting in the holy month of Ramadan?” a student was quoted by Maktoob Media as saying.
The authorities called the protest illegal, citing the absence of prior permission.
Shan Mohammad, a student leader at the protest, accused the police of misbehaving with the demonstrators. “They invited us to the police station for talks but instead detained many of us,” he alleged.
The police action reportedly stemmed from an Instagram video showing students offering namaz, which went viral and fuelled online and offline hate campaign against Muslims.
Khalid, 22, was arrested for allegedly offering namaz in an open space on the campus. After his arrest, Hindutva groups also held protests over the video, which purportedly showed around 50 students praying on March 13, a day before the Hindu festival of Holi.
Hindutva leaders demanded legal action, claiming the video was an attempt to provoke discord. In response, the university administration suspended Khalid along with three security personnel and urged authorities to take action against him.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rakesh Kumar Mishra stated that releasing the video on the occasion of Holi raised concerns over communal tensions.
Circle Officer Sadar Dehat Shiv Pratap Singh confirmed Khalid’s arrest, stating, “A video of namaz being offered on the IIMT University campus was circulated on social media.” He added that Khalid was sent to jail following his detention.
On Friday, an FIR was lodged against both the university administration and Khalid, based on a complaint by Kartik Hindu. Ganga Nagar police station SHO Anoop Singh said the case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 299, which pertains to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008.
Sunil Sharma, media in-charge of IIMT Group, stated that an internal probe confirmed the namaz was performed in an open space and that the video was shared in a way that could “disrupt communal harmony.”
Superintendent of Police Mishra defended the police action, stating, “The students were charged for unlawful assembly as restrictions on public gatherings are in place. They did not seek prior permission for the protest and refused to negotiate.”
