By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: The human rights organization People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has condemned the government and media for making efforts to link the Muslims of Azamgarh with the Mumbai triple blasts that took place on July 13, killing at least 19 and injuring over a hundred.
Talking to TwoCircles.net on phone, Shannawaz Alam, secretary of UP chapter of PUCL, said that on 16th July, some Hindi dailies like Amar Ujala, Dainik Jagaran and Hindustan published news that the investigation agencies quizzed Salman and Tariq Qasmi, both residents of Azamgarh, at Lucknow Jail in connection with the Mumbai serial blast.
“While the fact is that Salman, an accused in Jaipur serial blast, is currently in Jaipur Jail and Tariq, an accused in Lucknow court blast, is in Lucknow Jail and according to his lawyer Mohd. Shuaib who met Tariq today he denied that he was questioned by anyone regarding Mumbai blast” said Shannawaz Alam.
He also said today news published in Dainik Jagaran that a youth of Azamgarh was picked up by police in the connection with the Mumbai blast. “It is also false news because no one has been arrested and even UP has not been officially linked up with Mumbai blast but such rumor is being spread by media and government is not taking any action it means these all things being done on its direction” he alleged.
“This point finger at the roles of investigation agencies and government as well as media that they, instead of reaching to the real culprits and bring justice to the victims, are making attempts to malign Azamgarh’s name and target Muslim community” he added.
“Aftermath the blast, the probe agencies are suspecting only Muslim individuals and organization while Sanghi terror network which has been involved in many blast in the past years is not being probed,” he added.
He further said: “We condemn the blast and demand a high level inquiry which should probe the incident taking all the suspected angles into accounts whatever it may be and whoever it may be and not targeting a particular community as it has been done since the blast occurred.”