Stop harassment of Muslims: Jamiat

BY MANOJ ANAND

GUWAHATI

Aug. 8: The Assam State Jamiat Ulema said here on Friday that the state’s Muslim community was being harassed by some organisations in the garb of a drive to identify Bangladeshi infiltrators. It warned that communal clashes could break out in the state if the government did not intervene in time.

Referring to several incidents in which Muslims were allegedly pulled out of passenger buses and handed over to the police after accusing them of being Bangladeshis, the head of the powerful religious body, Mr Badruddin Ajmal said, "These incidents are provoking the Muslims in the state and we are afraid that they may lead to clashes between the two communities."

The veteran leader, who was accompanied by several Maulanas from the state, however, commended the government for identifying over four lakh suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators.

Appealing to the AASU and other Islamic students’ organisations to refrain from violence, he said, "The director-general of Assam police is being provocative by accusing madrassas based in western districts of patronising fundamentalists to spread terror."

Asking the police to prove the allegation, he said, "We are ready to facilitate a probe into the matter. Such remarks by the police chief are further escalating tension in the area." "We are not opposed to police action against anti-national and fundamentalist elements, but the entire Muslim community should not be defamed as such," he said.