MP: Four of a particular minority community held for participating in garba event

Indore, October 11

Four youngsters of a particular minority community were held after the fringe Hindu group Bajrang Dal complained that they had attended a college 'garba' event that they claimed violated Covid norms and was held to promote “Love Jihad”.

Adnan Shah, Mohammad Umar, Abdul Qadir, and Syed Saqib were released on bonds of Rs 50,000.  

This comes after the fringe Hindu group created ruckus at the event over the participation of a particular non-Hindu community at the event.  

 “Love jihad” is a term members of the Hindu right frequently use to describe what they see as an act of illegal conversion to particular a minority religion. Several BJP- ruled states have even passed laws to stop such “illegal conversions”, although many critics and experts have frequently pointed out that these are used to target minorities—one community in particular.

Police have booked arrested the four non-Hindu youngsters and were charged with CrPC section 151 (Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) for the “fear of disrupting public peace”. Police have also registered a case against the organisers for allowing more than the number of people permitted at the event, also on the basis of a complaint by the fringe Hindu group, Bajrang Dal.

Garba dance is organised in different pandals during the ongoing Navratri festival.

 “They (the four youths) were arrested under CrPC section 151 (Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) from a private college campus in Gandhi Nagar area during garba,” Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Parag Jain said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Prashant Choube meanwhile claims the suspects were arrested after an argument with some others at the programme.

All four of them have been sent to jail for fear of disrupting public peace, he said.

Tarun Devda, fringe Hindu group Bajrang Dal’s local coordinator, claimed in his complaint that the administration had given permission for 800 guests but organisers turned it into a commercial event and sold more tickets, giving nearly 2,000-3000 people entry into the event.

His complaint took particular objection to people of a particular minority community being present at the event.

Devda claimed that by inviting Muslims to an event during the holy Navratri, the college was "encouraging" them to participate in such Hindu festivals.

Police have booked Akshay Tiwari from the college’s management under section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) but have arrested him.

Congress spokesman Ameenul Khan Suri called the arrests unconstitutional and slammed the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state.

 “Why can’t people belonging to different religions participate in each other’s festivals in MP? Police and administration should follow the Constitution of the country,” he said.  

'What was their crime'

Their family are still puzzled why their sons were arrested.

Abdul Hamid Shah, Adnan's father, told PTI that his son was a student of second year B.Com.

"He was serving there as a volunteer and was handling light and sound system during the programme,” Shah said as he held up the college’s identity card and an invitation to the programme

“On what basis my son was sent to jail under CrPC 151? We feel it was done under political pressure.”   

Abdul Aleem, Qadir's elder brother, said, like Adnan, his brother was a volunteer at the event.

—Agencies

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