All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday posted videos on social media and reacted strongly to two incidents where Muslim men were allegedly beaten up in Gujarat’s Junagadh and Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr.
In the first video, a group of men can be seen lined up and being beaten up outside a dargah Junagadh. The video shows two men in civilian clothes with handkerchiefs tied around their faces thrashing the people lined up. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
“First news: In Junagadh, Gujarat, when Muslim youths protested against the demolition of the dargah, the police, which is called the protector of the people, is beating Muslim youths in front of the same dargah,” Owaisi tweeted in Hindi.
One person died while at least five police personnel were injured after violent clashes erupted in Junagadh city following the civic body’s notice to a dargah as part of its anti-encroachment drive on Friday night, officials said on Saturday. At least 174 people have been detained in connection with the incident that saw around 500-600 protesters pelting stones and clashing with police near Majevadi Darwaja dargah. The police lobbed tear gas shells and baton-charged the protesters to control the situation, officials said.
On June 14, the Junagadh municipal corporation served a notice to the Majewadi dargah, asking its administration to produce legal documents pertaining to the ownership of land within five days, officials said.
In the second video, a man, who according to Owaisi is a daily wage worker, can be seen being tied to a tree, assaulted, head tonsured and forced to chant “Jai Shree Ram” by some people whose face are not visible.
“Second news: In Bulandshahr, a daily wage labourer was tied to a tree, beaten and forced to raise JSR slogans. Later, look at the sympathy of the police – instead of taking action against the culprits, Sahil was sent to jail. Where should he go if he takes a complaint against the oppression being done to him?” the AIMIM MP said.
Surendra Nath Tiwari, additional superintendent of police, Bulandshahr, said two persons have also been arrested in the case.
“A video is going viral on social media in which three people of Vair village of Kakod police station area are seen beating up a person from another village on suspicion of theft. Taking cognizance of this, charges have been registered on the basis of Tahrir received from the family. Two persons have also been arrested in the case. Other statutory actions are being taken,” news agency ANI quoted Tiwari as saying.
Ex-Uttarakhand CM accuses Owaisi of inciting communal tension
Former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Saturday accused Owaisi of inciting communal tension in the hill state through his tweets and said he will not be allowed to disrupt peace and vitiate the atmosphere, news agency PTI reported.
Owaisi in a tweet had demanded a ban on the proposed ‘maha panchayat’ in Purola, which has been in the grip of communal tension. Rawat also advised the ‘maulvis’ to teach good values to children in madrassas so that communal harmony is maintained.
Citing the example of Hindu religious leaders, the BJP leader said they never provoke the youth to do anything wrong or immoral.
Speaking on the state government’s ongoing crackdown against “love and land jihad”, the BJP leader said India is ruled by the Constitution and the action against land encroachment or forced conversions has legal sanction.
Accusing Owaisi of posting provocative tweets, Rawat said he was trying to foment trouble in Uttarakhand and said he would not succeed.
