NEW DELHI: The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) on Sunday demanded for withdrawal of the sedition case recently filed against Delhi minority commission chairman Zafarul Islam Khan, saying he is “a respectable intellectual” and Delhi police’ action against him only raises a question mark on their “professionalism and objectivity”.
“He is the chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission, an important legal and quasi-judicial institution. Speaking on and drawing the attention of the government towards the various injustices perpetrated on the minorities is part of his official duty,” President Syed Sadatullah Hussaini said in a statement.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police recently lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Khan under Sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth) of the Indian Penal Code after he thanked “Kuwait” in a Facebook post for standing with the Indian Muslims.
Police instituted the case against Delhi minority commission chief on April 30 reportedly on a complaint by a resident of Vasant Kunj, Delhi, even as he later issued a clarification with regard to his social media post on April 28.
The complainant alleged that Khan’s post was “provocative”, “deliberate” and seditious and intended to cause disharmony and create a rift in the society.
“The FIR is reported to have been registered evidently under the pressure of social media trolls and mischievous hate-mongering channels,” the Hussaini noted in his statement, adding “This is a matter of great concern for the entire nation.
The JIH president underlined Khan, who is also an eminent writer and a journalist, has extensively written against extremism and religious violence all over the world. His writings in Urdu, Arabic and English are read all over the world.
“He has been very critical of the ISIS and other radical organizations through his statements and analytical articles and has played an important role in the fight against extremism,” he said, adding “Today, if he says something against the growing extremism and communalism in the country then it should be taken as his love for the people and the nation and as part of his ongoing fight against extremism and radicalism.”
Hussaini noted that the institution of an FIR against the Delhi minority commission chief has made it apparent that not only the trusted individuals but also even important democratic institutions are no longer safe from “the police transgression.”
“The entire nation is watching how this very Police are continuously ignoring the extremely poisonous and hateful social media posts against the minorities and their religious sentiments,” he said adding “We demand that the government and the Delhi Police should withdraw this case and stop the people who are misinterpreting the statement of Dr Khan to create division and hatred despite his clarification.”
Earlier, a group of civil society members came out in support of Khan, condemning the “continued media trial” and targeting of the Delhi minority commission chairman for his Facebook post.
“We demand the appropriate authorities of the Government of India take strong legal action against those who are distorting Dr Khan’s Facebook post, and spreading vicious false propaganda against him,” they said in a joint statement signed by Swami Agnivesh, Arun Kumar, Zafar Jung, John Dayal, Kamal Faruqui, Annie Namala, Anil Chamadia among others.
They described Khan as “a leading Indian intellectual”.
“A few politicians with ulterior motives and news channel anchors known for spreading bigotry and Islamophobia have mischievously sought to misinterpret his statement and ridiculously label him as anti-Hindu and anti-India,” they alleged.
