PFI asks people to resist moves against Muslim places of worship

"The courts did not even bother to verify the truth of such claims with facts and evidence, which has created the impression that anyone anywhere in the country can make similar claims about any place of worship," PFI added.

New Delhi: The Popular Front of India (PFI) on Thursday passed a resolution to call on the people of the country to resist the moves against mosques and Muslim places of worship during the National Executive Council meeting held on the 23rd and 24th of May at Puthanathani. The meeting observed that the recent ill-intentioned litigations by the Sangh Parivar organizations against Gyanvapi Masjid and Mathura Shahi Idgah were clearly against the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, and the courts should not have entertained them.

The Apex court itself ratifying the restriction on Muslims in the use of Wudu Khana of Gyanvapi Masjid was disappointing, a press release by the PFI read. "The courts did not even bother to verify the truth of such claims with facts and evidence, which has created the impression that anyone anywhere in the country can make similar claims about any place of worship. Consequently, communal elements are targeting Mosques in many parts of the country. The latest example is the claim on a Jama Masjid in Mangalore, Karnataka," it further observed.

Underlining that this will lead to endless communal hostilities and mistrust, the organisation appealed to the court to do justice to the Places of Worship Act and put an end to the communally motivated litigations seeking to alter the character of any place of worship belonging to any community in the country. Popular Front calls on people to come forward to resist Hindutva moves to capture Muslim places of worship, it said. Further taking a jab at the BJP, it reads that the party's extrajudicial methods are a threat to rule of law.

In another resolution, the NEC of the Popular Front stated that the wide of use extrajudicial methods in BJP ruled states are a threat to rule of law in the country. Encounters, bulldozing of properties and custodial killings, which were norms in Yogi's Uttar Pradesh, are being adopted by other BJP states too, the note observed. "Assam police recently shot dead two Muslim youths by accusing them of cattle smuggling. In the aftermath of the Hindutva violence in the name of Ram Navami rallies, the Muslim community were selectively targeted by the governments in BJP-ruled states," it further read.

"Muslim properties were bulldozed in Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, and Gujarat. This is proof of the BJP's growing disdain for the due process of law. This will eventually lead to lawlessness. Even if any crime is committed, no police or district administration has the power to punish citizens by any means. It's the duty of the courts to decide if someone is guilty and what the punishment should be. It's quite unfortunate that the courts are not intervening to prevent the cruel extrajudicial actions," it said.

In another resolution, the NEC announced the inclusion of two new members to the Council, Dr. Minarul Shaikh and Muhammed Asif, in place of KM Shareef, who had passed away last year and E Abubacker, whose resignation due to health reasons was approved by the council.