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Indore, Nov 11 (IANS) Congress councilor Anwar Qadri, who is jailed in a case related to alleged ‘love jihad’, has been removed from his post and declared ineligible to contest municipal elections for the next five years. The decision to remove Qadri was taken by Indore Divisional Commissioner Sudam Khade on Monday following a proposal brought by BJP councilors in Indore Municipal Corporation. Confirming the report, a BJP councilor told IANS, “Anwar Qadri has been removed from the post of councilor under the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1956. He has also been disqualified from contesting (municipal corporation) elections for the next five years.” It is noteworthy that on June 20, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava had written a letter to the Divisional Commissioner’s office citing the criminal cases registered against Qadri and demanded his removal from the post of councilor of Ward No. 58 under legal provisions. Qadri, who was booked on several serious charges including conducting alleged ‘love-jihad’, was arrested by the Indore police in August this year and has been in jail since then. The allegations also include rape, forced religious conversion and involvement in illegal trafficking. He is accused of targeting members of the minority community, sexually assaulting women from other communities and providing funds for religious conversion. Qadri was booked following the arrest of two persons, Sahil Sheikh and Altaf Shah, in separate cases. The influential Congress councilor was booked under criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act, 2021. Later in July, the Indore district administration had also invoked the National Security Act and issued orders for his arrest under the law. As per police records, Qadri has 18 cases registered against him in various police stations in Indore as well as Ujjain (before this case), including assault, attempt to murder and disturbing communal harmony and Arms Act cases. –IANS PD/KHz