By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: The festival of brotherhood Eid-Ul-Fitr was celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour at the state capital on Wednesday. State Governor BL Joshi, Chief Minister Mayawati, cabinet minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui too reached Aishbagh Eidgah and exchanged greetings with Muslims. UP Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Dr Rita Bahuguna Joshi reached at Asafi Mosque and greeted Muslims.
With huge congregation of Muslims during the Eid-ul-Fitr namaz the occasion also came handy for the Muslim clerics to convey their point to the community. At historical Tile Wali Masjid, Imam Syed Shah Fazlur Rehman Waizi Nadwi denounced the Israel’s imperialist mission and urged the Muslim countries for a united onslaught against the Zionist regime. “We express our solidarity with the Palestinian people and liberation of Masjid-e-Aqsa from Isarel’s occupation. It is our moral obligation to express solidarity and demand from our union government to snap all ties with Israel,” he said. Waizi also stated that Indian government should use its clout for prevailing upon Israel. Later the Eid-ul-Fitr namaz was led by Naib Imam, Syed Shah Fazlul Mannan Ramhani.
At Asafi Mosque, Imam-e-Juma Maulana Kalbe Jawwad led the Eid-ul-Fitr namaz for Shia Muslims. In his address Jawwad reiterated for unity among the community and also to end the massacre of Shia Muslims in various countries including Pakistan.
At Aishbagh Eidgah, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli led the namaz. He presented a set of demands for the welfare of Muslim community. The major demands included justice for Muslims who were the victims of Gujarat riots, benevolent aid to minority institutions, scrapping of Article 341 and granting reservation to Muslims under SC/ST category, expediting the case of Moallim-e-Urdu in government jobs, setting up of Urdu Department in all government and aided colleges and a minority university at Lucknow on lines of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
State police had made elaborate security arrangements for maintaining law and order during the festival with deployment of required number of companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) in the state.