Deoband, Nov 26 (IANS) Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind President, Maulana Arshad Madani, expressed anger over the recent incident in Sambhal and approached the Supreme Court, stating that incidents like Sambhal are happening due to the lack of proper implementation of laws for the protection of places of worship.
He said that despite the Places of Worship Act, 1991, lower courts are ordering surveys of Muslim worship sites, which is a violation of this law.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has filed a petition in the Supreme Court for the protection and effective enforcement of the law regarding the security of religious places, on which there has been no hearing for the past year. It has appealed to the apex court, urging it to hear the case as soon as possible.
Maulana Madani stated: “Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind stands with the victims of police firing and brutality in Sambhal.” He strongly condemned “the police firing” and highlighted “the long history of police brutality”, whether it was in Maliana, Hashimpura, Moradabad, Haldwani, or Sambhal.
“The verdict in the Babri Masjid case was humiliating. This judgment used the argument that no mosque was built in Ayodhya, which Muslims have had to swallow bitterly. However, this decision was thought to bring peace and order to the country. But after the verdict, communal forces gained confidence. Now, even after this decision, attempts are being made to search for temples under mosque foundations, which proves that communal forces in the country are enemies of peace and unity. The government remains silent but is seen supporting such people behind the scenes, as evidenced by the recent incident in Sambhal,” he remarked.
“In every case, the police have shown the same face. The job of the police is to maintain law and order and protect the lives and property of the people, but unfortunately, the police act like a party, especially against minorities and Muslims,” he said.
Maulana Madani further said, “It is important to remember that a dual standard of justice paves the way for unrest and destruction. Therefore, the standard of law should be the same for everyone, and no citizen should be discriminated against based on religion, as neither the Constitution of this country nor the law allows it.”
He also stated that the Sambhal incident is a living example of lawlessness, injustice, and cruelty, which the country and the world are witnessing.
“Now, the situation has escalated to gunshots, with unprovoked shootings in the chest in Sambhal. Many videos have gone viral, but now, a larger conspiracy is being attempted to suggest that those who died were not shot by the police, but by someone else’s bullet. The big question is: did the police not fire? The truth is captured on camera, and it is clear that the police were firing bullets. Defending the police means that the police have changed their strategy to kill Muslim youth, using illegal weapons,” he said.
Maulana Madani further pointed out that not only in Sambhal but also in many parts of the country, issues related to religious places and the irresponsible decisions of the local judiciary are violating the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which was passed to protect religious sites.
–IANS
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