MUMBAI: Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and Muslim religious groups like Raza Academy and Tahaffuz Namoos-e-Risalat Board (Protection of the Prophet’s Honour Board) have joined hands to put pressure on the state government to introduce the “Prophet Muhammad Bill” to make an act to stop vilification of Prophet Muhammad and religious heads and figures of all other religions.
Though it is being popularised as the ‘Prophet Muhammd Bill’ in Urdu press, the draft bill prepared and to be submitted to the government is called ‘Prophet Muhammad and Other Religious Heads Prohibition of Slander Act, 2021’ or ‘Hate Speech (Prevention) Act, 2021’.
“It is our suggestion but the government can name whatever it chooses to. Our demand is that there should be a strong law to stop vilification, mocking and insult to our holy prophet and all deities and religious heads. Communal clashes have happened because the existing law against hate speech is insufficient to stop miscreants,” said Maulana Moin Ashraf Qadri (Moin Mian), who heads the Risalat Board and is also the president of the All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema.
