By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal district administration cancelled the permission to thwart the move of Muslims’ proposed protest against the demolition of an ancient Masjid Kothri after the Friday prayers here today. The administration cancelled the permission late last night after it had earlier granted it in the evening to hold public meeting and rally.
The Muslims on Thursday at a joint meeting of Madhya Pradesh units of Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, (AIMPLB), had decided to hold a massive protest public meeting and rally to express their ire over the demolition of the Masjid Kothri. After the public meeting Muslims in a rally would have marched from Iqbal Maidan to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister’s residence at about 2-30 p.m.to hand over a memorandum to him to reconstruct the demolished Masjid forthwith.
However, under intense political pressure, it is believed, the Bhopal district administration succumbed and cancelled the permission it had granted earlier. The cancellation order reportedly said that the prevailing situation in the city is not conducive to hold protest public meeting and take out rally as it would vitiate the atmosphere of communal harmony. The district administration also reportedly assured that a meeting of prominent Muslims with the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would be arranged shortly to find a solution to the issue.
Meanwhile, hearing took place today in the writ petition filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur, following the demolition of Masjid Kothri, and the court has reserved the order for next Monday i.e. February 9. The petition has been filed on behalf of AIMPLB member Arif Masood.
It may be mentioned here that the Masjid Kothri was situated on Bhopal-Indore road near village Dodi in Ashta tehsil Sehore district, about 70 kms from the state capital Bhopal. It was razed in the night on January 29 last without proper notice to make adequate room for four-lane highway..
Taken aback at the U-turn taken by the Bhopal district administration the organizers, however, did not lose heart and held a symbolic public meeting in the historic Moti Masjid campus, nearby the original venue of Iqbal Maidan, wherein about 1000 Muslims participated.
Addressing the gathering Arif Masood, a Congress leader, reminded the Bharatiya Janata Party ruled Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan the present fate of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, under whose regime the historic Babri Masjid was demolished in December 19 92, who is trying to seek forgiveness from Muslims for his horrendous act. He warned Chouhan that the same fate awaits him as Masjid Kothri has been razed under his rule right under his nose if he does not undo the wrong done to Muslims .and reconstruct the said Masjid at the same spot.
Masood declared that if the talks with Chief Minister fail then a full-fledged protest public meeting and a rally will be taken out in a few days time after consultation with Mufti Abd-ur-Razzaq, vice president of Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind, who was not present due to ill health, even if the district administration does not grant permission to hold it. He sought the approval of the assemblage about his declaration to which one and all gave their consent by raising their hands up and emotionally saying yes in unison.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Maulana Maseeh Alam, Qazi Abdul Khaid, Mufti Ziaullah, Prof. Mateen Siddiqui, Shafquat Mohammad Khan, Syed Musharraf Ali, Advocate Abdul Hameed Khan etc.
Meanwhile, placards prepared for the rally were put on the fencing of the Moti Masjid campus. Some of the placards read: “Masjid Ki Shahadat Bardasht Nahin”, Masjid Usi Jagah Banana Hoga”, “Masjid Ki Shahadat Aqleeyat Par Zulm”, “Don’t demolish democratic rights”, “Reconstruct mosque on same place” etc. ([email protected])