By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Maulana Syed Nurur Rahman Barkati, Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultam Masjid of Kolkata conducted ‘Ghayabana Namaz-e-Janaza’ (funeral prayers in absentia) for Yakub Memon after Friday prayer on 31 July. Memon, a convict in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast was executed on July 30 at the Nagpur Central Jail.
Maulana Nurur Rahman Barkati Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Masjid leading a funeral prayer in absentia for Yakub Memon on 31 July in Kolkata
Before the prayer, Rahman gave a firy speech blaming the RSS and other Hindutva organisations for ignoring for forcing the executions of Memon, adding that there are controversies of whether he got a fair trial. He reminded that many eminent jurists and lawyers too had questioned the death penalty to Memon.
He said that he is not in support of any terrorist or rioters but the law should be equal for all and applied in a just manner. He said that after someone dies all his sins should be forgiven and hence he conducted the funeral prayer seeking forgiveness for Memon.
SDPI’s protest against the hanging of Yakub Memon at Park Circus, Kolkata on 31 July.
SDPI organizes protest against the death sentence
State Committee of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) also organized a protest against the execution of Yakub Memon at Park Circus Seven point crossing in Kolkata on Friday.
On a rainy day, under the banner of SDPI, more than two hundred people participated in the protest rally around 3.45 PM in the afternoon, demanding similar sentences for the perpetrators of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, 1992 Mumbai riots, and those involved in the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.
State president of SDPI Taidul Islam raised questions on the hanging that has been marred in controversies as many intellectuals, jurists, civil rights advocates, among others had objected to his sentencing and urged the government to commute his death sentence to life.
The state Secretary of SDPI Professor Dr Afsar Ali reminded that Yakub Memon was executed under the TADA act that has already been allowed to lapse.