Saharanpur, October 1 (IANS) Congress MP Imran Masood was placed under the arrest of the house by the Uttar Pradesh Police, before he was determined to leave for Bareilly on Wednesday, ‘I love Muhammad’s line in view of violent protests related to the line.
A heavy police attendance has been deployed outside his residence in Saharanpur since late Tuesday to stop their movement.
Speaking to IANS, Masood confirmed that he and his delegation had planned to travel to Bareilly to review the situation on the ground.
“We had planned to go to Bareilly, and the entire delegation was on its way. There, we were going to meet officers, excavations and ADG, and were reviewing the prevailing situation. We are the patrons of peace and under any circumstances, do we promote hatred,” he said.
He said that the government’s approach was “discriminatory”.
“However, all sides must understand the problem. Now, the country works by two types of laws, one for us and others,” Masood said.
The unrest in Bareilly broke on 26 September when a large crowd gathered outside a mosque carrying the poster of ‘I Love Muhammad’, when Maulvi Tauqir Raza Khan canceled a planned performance.
The protest quickly entered the violence, motivated the police to start a crack.
Tauqir Raza Khan, who is the head of the Itatehad-e-Milat Parishad, was arrested a day later on charges of provoking violence and is currently in judicial custody.
Referring to Khan’s arrest, Masood said, “It was obliged to happen, but only with us. In Fatehpur, the rioters were brutalizing the mosque, breaking through barricades, entering through barricades, while the police saw. What action did the police administration take at that time?
He accused the police of targeting select Muslims.
He said, “They charge us, using baton and bullets on us, which clearly shows that there are two laws in this country. Each Muslim of the country should understand this,” he said.
“I request the country’s responsible Muslims and Ulema to take initiative to come forward and ensure that mosques are for prayers. Mosques should not be used in such a way that people come to pray and then start protesting with the poster in hand, and all worshipers become part of that crowd, and then the police used the police.”
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SD/DPB