VARANASI: A police sub-inspector Mahesh Singh was removed from Shahganj police station after he allegedly damaged some tazias after raiding the places of tazia-makers in Bhadikhas locality in Jaunpur on Friday night.
Alleging that the police had damaged many tazias and misbehaved their makers, hundreds of people of Shia sect of Bhadi Khas and nearby localities staged night-long protest at Shahganj police station and performed Muharram mourning there till Saturday morning.
ASP (city), Jaunpur, Dr Sanjay Kumar, said that in view of the ban on carrying out tazia processions during Muharram this year, the people of Muslim community had been asked during the peace committee meetings at each police station not to make tazias. On getting inputs that some tazia-makers in Shahganj were making tazias, a police team had gone to their places on Friday evening and asked them to avoid it, said ASP. Upset over it, the people of the community started levelling allegations that cops damaged tazias, the ASP added.
Shia clerics condemn damage to tazias in Jaunpur, seek action
Lucknow: Shia clerics on Saturday condemned the alleged police action and damage to taziyas (replica of Imam Husain’s shrine) kept inside houses in Jaunpur on Friday night.
General secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind, Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi, on Saturday morning announced the boycott of majlis held at Imambara Ghufranmaab in Lucknow from Sunday till the government issues guidelines for Muharram and unwarranted police action against mourners stops in the state. However, after the guidelines were issued in the evening, he made a U-turn saying that the majlis would continue as per schedule.
“We condemn the oppression of Shias. Since the guidelines have been issued by the government on Saturday, the majlis boycott announcement is revoked but we demand action against the police officials who tore taziyas in Shahganj,” he added.
Maulana Yasoob Abbas also condemned the alleged police act and complained to the police control room demanding suspension of the cops responsible for the act.
Talking to TOI from Mumbai, Abbas said: “I have made a formal complaint about the incident with the police. Even in Agra and Hardoi, I have been told, police forced its way into a majlis and stalled it, which is unacceptable. Covid protocols are being followed by Shias, while people of other religions are continuing their activities unhindered.”
Kalbe Sibtain Noorie, son of late Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, also appealed to clerics to come together on the issue for the sake of Muharram and its mourners. Maulana Saif Abbas also condemned the incident and action against the guilty.
