TCN News
Minutes before Iftar on Wednesday, Delhi Police Cyber Cell raided Chairman of the Delhi Minority Commission, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan’s house. The raid was conducted in connection with a case registered against Khan over his alleged “inflammatory” remarks made on social media.
Dr Khan’s counsel, Vrinda Grover confirmed the news demanding that the enforcement agency “act in accordance with law.” She also cited Section 160 of the CrPC that mandates that “the police cannot compel the attendance of a person above 65 years of age at any place other than their residence for the purpose of investigation and interrogation.”
While more than 50 individuals, groups and organizations have condemned action against Dr Khan’s comments through public letters and posts, Chairman of Popular Front, O M A Salam has spoken strongly against the raid. “This action by the Delhi Police has crossed all limits of civil decency,” said Salam, accusing the BJP government of using law “to harass and crush any type of dissent.”
Salam has called it a “shameful situation that just a statement by a respected person bearing a statutory position becomes a pretext for police raid in his residence,” and that there can be no logical explanation for the raid. It must be noted that Popular Front has been instrumental in countering the ongoing hate speech against Muslims and has filed legal suit against hate speech on social media. Salam opines that such an act of crushing dissent of Muslim voices is a well planned effort of the BJP, “a warning to others who are critical of the policies of central government.”
Discussing the deteriorating situation of freedom of speech of the Indian minorities, Salam has called upon the civil society to strongly condemn “this authoritarian act of raid and stand in solidarity with Dr. Khan.”