News Analysis India

Tag: Waseem Rizvi

  • Hate speech row: Second FIR lodged in Dharma Sansad case

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: A second FIR has been lodged against 10 persons in connection with a Dharma Sansad held in Haridwar where hate speeches were allegedly delivered by some participants against Muslims.

    The second FIR in the case was lodged at Jwalapur police station in Haridwar on Sunday on the basis of a complaint lodged by Nadeem Ali, a resident of the area, said senior sub-inspector of Jwalapur Nitesh Sharma.

    Ten persons named in the second FIR are the event’s organiser Yati Narasimhanand Giri, Jitendra Narayan Tyagi formerly known as Waseem Rizvi, Sindhu Sagar, Dharamdas, Parmananda, Sadhvi Annapurna, Anand Swaroop, Ashwini Upadhyay, Suresh Chahwan and Prabodhanand Giri, he said.

    The FIR was lodged at Jwalapur police station and transferred to the city police station where the first FIR in connection with the case was lodged, the official said.

    A Special Investigation Team was also constituted on Sunday to probe the case.

    The BJP government in Uttarakhand is under tremendous pressure for acting against those who delivered the hate speeches against Muslims at the Dharma Sansad held in Haridwar from December 16-19.

    Muslims held protest marches in Dehradun and Haridwar on Friday and Saturday demanding immediate arrest of those who delivered the provocative speeches at the Sansad.

  • Muslim outfits welcome SC’s decision to dismiss Rizvi’s plea seeking removal of Quran verses

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: Muslim clerics and organisations on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision of rejecting a plea seeking removal of 26 verses from the Quran, saying this proves that religious books are treated with honour in the country.

    The apex court termed as “absolutely frivolous” the petition filed by former Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi and dismissed it with a cost of Rs 50,000.

    “We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court. This proves that religious books are being treated with honour in the country. It will increase the confidence of Muslims in the Constitution and in the judiciary,” All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Mulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali told PTI.

    He also demanded that the government take strict action against Rizvi so that “no one can raise questions on religious books in the future”.

    FULL REPORT | ‘Absolutely frivolous’: Supreme Court on Rizvi’s plea to remove Quran verses, hands Rs 50,000 fine

    All India Shia Personal Law Board spokesperson Maulana Yasoob Abbas said that they congratulate Muslims of the country on this verdict.

    “We trust our judiciary and it will continue to give justice in the future too so that no one can raise a finger on Islam or any other religion,” he said.

    On Monday, a bench of Justices R F Nariman B R Gavai and Hrishikesh Roy rejected the petition in which Rizvi alleged that these 26 verses of Quran promoted terrorism.

    In his plea, Rizvi stated that Islam is based on the concepts of equity, equality, forgiveness and tolerance but due to extreme interpretations of the said verses of the holy book, the religion has been drifting away from the basic tenets.

    Majlist Ulema-e-Hind’s general secretary Maulana Kalbe Jawwad termed the Supreme Court’s decision “historic” and said it will increase the trust of Muslims in the Constitution.

    “I expected the same from the Supreme Court. It will be a lesson for forces creating disturbances. By imposing a cost, the court stopped other such elements from doing such things in the future,” he said.

    Jawwad demanded strict action against Rizvi.

    Terming Rizvi an “opportunist”, he said, “I hope he will be sent to jail soon for corruption in Waqf properties in his regime.

    Last month, an FIR was registered in Bareilly against Rizvi for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Muslims with his petition in the top court.

    The FIR was registered at the Kotwali police station following complaints by Anjuman Khuddam-e-Rasool secretary Shan Ahmed and an organisation known as Ittehad-e-Millat council.

  • ‘Absolutely frivolous’: Supreme Court on Rizvi’s plea to remove Quran verses, hands Rs 50,000 fine

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday termed as “absolutely frivolous” a petition filed by former UP Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi seeking removal of 26 verses from the holy Quran and dismissed it with a cost of Rs 50,000.

    A bench of Justices R F Nariman B R Gavai and Hrishikesh Roy rejected the petition in which Rizvi alleged that these 26 verses of Quran promoted terrorism.

    In his plea, Rizvi has stated that Islam is based on the concepts of equity, equality, forgiveness and tolerance but due to extreme interpretations of the said verses of the holy book, the religion has been drifting away from the basic tenets.

    ALSO READ | Muslim outfits welcome SC’s decision to dismiss Rizvi’s plea seeking removal of Quran verses

    The plea of Rizvi has drawn massive backlash with several Muslim outfits and Islamic clerics protesting against the former chairman of the Waqf Board.

    Last month, an FIR was registered in Bareilly against Rizvi for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Muslims with his petition in the top court.

    The FIR was registered at the Kotwali police station following complaints by Anjuman Khuddam-e-Rasool secretary Shan Ahmed and an organisation known as Ittehad-e-Millat council.

  • FIR registered against Waseem Rizvi for moving SC seeking removal of some verses of Quran

    By PTI
    BAREILLY: An FIR was registered here against former UP Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims with his petition in the Supreme Court seeking removal of some verses of the Quran which he claimed promoted terrorism.

    The FIR was registered at the Kotwali police station on Monday evening following complaints by Anjuman Khuddam-e-Rasool secretary Shan Ahmed and an organisation known as Ittehad-e-Millat Council, the police said.

    The case was registered under section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the IPC, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Bareilly, Rohit Singh Sajwan said.

    Chairman of the Raja Action Committee, Maulana Afroz Raja Qadri, claimed sectarian forces were operating behind Rizvi, and that time has come to unmask them.

    On Sunday, members of the Muslim community held a protest in Lucknow against Rizvi.

    Shia cleric and a senior member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board Maulana Kalbe Jawwad and a large number of people took part in the protest at the Bara Imambara.

    Addressing the gathering that day, Maulana Syed Salman Hasni Nadvi laid stress on Muslim unity and described Rizvi as a “kaafir (non-believer)” and “mujrim (criminal)”.

    “We are believers of the Quran and Allah first, Sunni and Shia later. Hence, there are no differences among us as far as the Quran is concerned,” Nadvi had then said.

    Maulana Jawwad had told reporters that Waseem Rizvi was a part of the “jamaat (group)” that goes to the extent of even falsifying their own existence and betraying their own religion.

    “He has been indulging in anti-religious activities, but this time, he has broken all barriers by raising a finger on the Quran,” Jawwad had said, urging the government to immediately arrest Rizvi and impose a heavy fine on him.

    In Bareilly, Mufti Ahsan Raja Qadri of the Dargah-e-Aala Hazrat, a prominent center of Barelvi Muslims, too had condemned Rizvi’s move and said not even an iota of change in the holy book was possible.

    In a statement, he had said, “Waseem Rizvi is an enemy of the Quran and Islam. He is doing this to gather cheap popularity and to save himself from the Waqf scam.” Rizvi filed the PIL in the apex court on Thursday.