Assam government razes third Islamic school in a month on false charges of terrorism
The Hindu nationalist government of Assam state on Wednesday ordered the demolition of a madrassa – Islamic seminary – in the Bongaigaon district without due process on the blatant false charges of being associated with “a terror organization.”
Officials alleged, without citing evidence, that the premises of Markazul MaArif Quariayana Madrasa were being used for terror activities.
On Tuesday, authorities evacuated at least 224 students from the building. The police searched the premises and claimed they had found documents allegedly associated with an organization named Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).
This is the third madrassa to be demolished this month in Assam. On August 30, the police in Goalpara district conducted a search operation and supposedly seized several key documents including one leaflet of terror Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) in Bengali language and one logo suspected to be of AQIS.
On the same day, the Assam government demolished another madrassa by the name Shaikhul Hind Mahmudul Hasan Jamiul Huda Islamic Academy in the Barpeta district. It was alleged that the institution was constructed on government land and had terror links.
There is no provision in Indian law for demolishing buildings even if they are found to be used for alleged criminalities.
Supreme Court rejects lower court’s order to celebrate Hindu festival on Muslim land
The Supreme Court halted the Karnataka state government’s plans to allow a Hindu festival to be held on Idgah Maidan in Bangalore city, a land owned by a Muslim body that has historically been reserved for Muslim prayers and festivals.
Earlier, the state High Court had allowed celebrations for the Hindu god Ganesh at ‘Idgah Maidan’ in the state capital Bangalore. The Supreme Court overturned this decision on Tuesday.
Appearing for the Muslim petitioners, senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court that no religious function had been performed by any other community at the Idgah Maidan for the last 200 years.
However, the state’s High Court allowed celebrations for the Hindu festival at another Idgah Maidan in the city, deeming that the Supreme Court’s decision would not apply as the land is not owned by a Muslim body.
The lower court deemed the land as belonging to the city.
The lawyer representing the Karnataka state government asked for “a government-managed temple” to be allowed for two days on the Muslim prayer ground, adding that “no permanent structure will be built.”
Karnataka’s state government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has encouraged and abetted Hindu extremism across Karnataka since taking power in 2018 after bribing other parties’ lawmakers to switch sides. Attacks on Muslim homes, businesses and mosques have shot up during its rule. In January, the government denied Muslim students to wear the hijab in many colleges.
Supreme Court to hear human rights defender Teesta Setalvad’s bail plea on Sep 1
The Supreme Court deferred hearing a plea for bail filed by globally recognized human rights defender Teesta Setalvad to Thursday, September 1.
Setalvad was jailed in June after the Supreme Court accused her, without any evidence, of forging documents against the Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi had been Gujarat’s chief minister in 2002 and was widely accused of tolerating and encouraging the mass violence against Muslims.
For decades, Ms Setalvad had fought to implicate prime minister Modi for his complicity in the anti-Muslim pogrom of Muslims in Gujarat state in 2002, when Modi was its chief minister. The case was filed on behalf of Zakia Jafri, widow of a local leader Ehsan Jafri, who was killed in that violence.
India’s newly-appointed Chief Justice, U. U. Lalit, and other judges adjourned the case on Tuesday due to a “lack of time.”
However, in a blatantly partisan decision, the Supreme Court yesterday dismissed 11 petitions seeking investigations and prosecutions in the role played by government agencies and Hindu supremacists who killed hundreds of Muslims during the massacres in 2002.
