MUMBAI: Several Muslim pockets in the city and suburbs, like Mohammed Ali Road, Nagpada, Mira Road and Mumbra, observed a bandh called by Raza Academy to protest against alleged anti-Muslim violence in Tripura. State home minister Dilip Walse Patil appealed for calm and urged people not to believe in rumours.
“We appealed to people to observe a bandh against the atrocities in hurtful slogans by VHP workers in Tripura. We didn’t force anyone. They did it voluntarily,” said Raza Academy general secretary Saeed Noorie.
“It was partial bandh in Mumbra,” said Mohammed Shabbir, a resident.
At a meeting at Islam Gymkhana, Muslim leaders, lawyers and activists decided to approach CM Uddhav Thackeray and seek a ban on former chairman of UP Shia Wakf Board Waseem Rizvi’s allegedly ‘blasphemous’ book on Prophet Muhammad. “The book maligns our prophet and not only hurts sentiments of Muslims. It may create communal disharmony. Its distribution in print and digital forms must be stopped,” said advocate Rizwan Merchant, who demanded that the stringentUAPA should be slapped on people like Rizvi, who habitually hurt people’s religious sentiments.
In parts of Bhiwandi, Pradeep Gupta reports, police detained 20 youth who were forcing shopkeepers to close shops.
