Latest news with #AssociationforProtectionofCivilRights
Scroll.in
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Muslim residents forced to flee Pune villages after boycott calls, allege rights groups
Muslim residents of several villages in Maharashtra's Pune district have been forced to flee their homes and shut businesses in the past two months amid boycott calls by 'majoritarian forces', two human rights organisations have alleged. In a letter to the Pune divisional commissioner on June 30, the People's Union for Civil Liberties and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights also urged authorities to act against those creating a 'sense of insecurity' in Paud, Pirangut, Kolvan, Suatarwadi and the surrounding villages of Mulsi taluk. The two groups had conducted a fact-finding exercise in the district on July 2 after reports emerged that residents of the villages were threatened 'not to allow any Muslim to work or employ him/her in any business or profession or allow them to stay as a tenant'. The threats came after a Muslim boy allegedly desecrated an idol of the Hindu deity Annapurna in Paud village on May 2, according to the letter. 'Some residents of the village beat him up and handed him over to the local police,' it said, adding that a case was registered and the boy was arrested. Following this, political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, organised protests condemning the incident. The situation was brought under control by the police, the letter said, adding that a few local leaders and activists also made efforts later to settle the matter. However, placards and boards displaying notices banning Muslims from outside the village from entering the area began appearing in public places soon after, said the rights groups. They alleged that Muslim shopkeepers, traders and vendors were also forced to close their businesses, compelling a few establishments dealing in scrap material to shut down and leave the villages. 'Moreover, we are told that with the 'cooperation' of local police, the identity proofs are checked and verified to ensure that no Muslim other than permanent/local Muslim resident be allowed to live in the village,' the human rights groups claimed. They added: 'Because of such terrifying, chilling atmosphere, many Muslim persons/families have been forced to leave their respective villages and to seek temporary shelter to some other place – many have been made to go back to their native places in other states.' A few Hindus in the area also told the human rights groups that they had been told not to help anybody from the Muslim community, claimed the letter. 'This is certainly undesirable and affecting peace and harmony in the villages.' It further claimed that similar instances of a 'boycott call' of the Muslim community were seen in Pune city in the past three months. Residents have been urged to boycott businesses owned by Muslims and not to avail any service from them, it added. Such instances and messages circulating online have been brought to the notice of the police, the letter said. 'However, despite that, such appeals, affecting the harmony in society, are being made openly and intermittently and as if with impunity,' it added. In their letter, the People's Union for Civil Liberties and the Association for Protection of Civil Liberties urged the divisional commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the matter and take action to restore normalcy in the villages. They also asked the authorities to remove the notices calling for a boycott of Muslims. The groups asked the divisional commissioner to 'identify those anti-social elements who have been actively and deliberately threatening people due to their deep-rooted prejudices or for political reasons and to take necessary preventive action against them'.
Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Police remove controversial signboards barring entry of non-local Muslims in Mulshi
Three signboards announcing that the entry of non-local Muslims is not allowed in a few villages of Mulshi taluka have been taken down by the police following complaints by civil rights organisations, Pune (Rural) superintendent of police Sandeep Singh Gill confirmed on Sunday. 'We have removed the objectionable boards after holding separate meetings with PUCL representatives and the gram panchayats of three villages. The matter is under review,' said Gill. PUCL member Milind Champanerkar said the group had also written to Baramati MP Supriya Sule and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, demanding action. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) According to the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Muslims running businesses or working as vendors and labourers in Paud, Pirangut, Kolvan, Suatwadi and surrounding areas have been facing threats, forced shutdowns, and boycott appeals after a temple idol was allegedly desecrated by a minor boy in May. The two organisations, in a joint complaint submitted to the state chief secretary, Pune district collector, and senior police officers, alleged that the banners targeting Muslims who do not belong to the particular area were put up in many areas, including religious places, without any legal sanction. They also alleged that several bakeries and scrap shops owned by Muslims had shut down due to pressure from the fringe elements, and the local police failed to check it. PUCL member Milind Champanerkar said the group had also written to Baramati MP Supriya Sule and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, demanding action.
Scroll.in
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Sambhal violence: Crowd protesting mosque survey was not violent, say civil rights groups
Eyewitness testimonies and videos 'contradict the official narrative' that the crowd protesting the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district in November was violent, said a fact-finding report by civil rights groups. 'Rather, they [testimonies and videos] depict excessive force by the police, including unlawful entries into homes, destruction of property and beatings,' said the report. The report, released by non-governmental organisation Association for Protection of Civil Rights and solidarity campaign Karwan-e-Mohabbat, pertained to the violence that broke out in Sambhal on November 24 after a group of Muslims objected to a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi town. A trial court had ordered the survey in a lawsuit claiming that the mosque had been built in 1526 by Mughal ruler Babar on the site of the 'centuries-old Shri Hari Har Temple dedicated to Lord Kalki'. The first survey took place on November 19 while a second one was conducted on November 24. Five persons were killed in the violence during the second survey. The report released on Tuesday looked into the process of the survey and what happened in its aftermath. It said that a petition was filed on November 19 in the trial court seeking an immediate survey of the mosque, claiming that it was actually a temple. The Uttar Pradesh government did not raise objections in the trial court and a judgement was passed without hearing the mosque's representatives, the report said, adding that this allowed the survey to take place within hours. 'Suspicion and unease spread among Muslim residents, intensified by the lack of standard precautionary protocols, such as notifying the Peace Committee or following basic communication norms,' the report claimed. It said that the 'second survey on November 24, conducted under visibly partisan circumstances (including the presence of a slogan-chanting mob), was especially incendiary'. The ablution tank in the mosque was drained, the report claimed, adding that this was seen by several protesters as a symbolic act of desecration. 'This second survey, executed without a fresh court order, was seen as a provocation and triggered large-scale protests,' it added. 'Police responded to the crowd of protesting Muslims with lathi charges, tear gas, and gunfire.' Five Muslim men were killed and dozens injured, the report said. More than 85 persons were also arrested. The report claimed that in the weeks after the violence, the police conducted house-to-house raids in Muslim neighbourhoods, filed 'dubious' first information reports and targeted political figures and activists. 'These actions occurred amidst broader state-led crackdowns on alleged 'encroachments', electricity theft and illegal construction – almost exclusively in Muslim-majority areas,' the report added. The district administration also began an 'anti-encroachment drive on December 14, specifically targeting areas like Sarai Tarin Main Market, Hindupura Kheda, Deepa Sarai, Khaggu Sarai, including areas near the residences of [Samajwadi Party] MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq, MLA Iqbal Mehmood, and SP leaders Aqeelur Rehman Khan and Firoz Khan' affected by the unrest, the report said. During the drive, portions of about 150 houses, shops and 10 mosques – such as staircases and balconies built over roads and drains – were demolished on the pretext of encroachment on government land, it added. In June, the Uttar Pradesh Police said that it had filed a chargesheet against Barq and 22 others in the case related to the violence. Barq was accused of inciting the crowd by giving allegedly provocative speeches. The police had said that 'some anti-social elements, criminals and certain political people to claim political relevance incited violence at the Shahi Jama Masjid' on November 24. It claimed that they had found that allegedly inflammatory speeches and incitement to violence led to the clashes, which resulted in arson, the throwing of stones and damage to public and private property. 'We have sent 92 people into judicial custody and are collecting evidence,' the police had said. 'The investigation is still ongoing, and soon, others involved will be arrested.' Barq has denied the allegations, stating he was in Bengaluru at the time of the violence. District magistrate calls report a 'farce' Sambhal District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya described the report by the civil rights groups a 'farce', The Indian Express reported. Pensiya told the newspaper that a report can say anything. 'People became violent and started pelting stones at the police and the administration,' he said. 'The entire country heard the announcement when we were requesting them to go back.' Pensiya said that the ablution tank was emptied to check its depth. The district magistrate also said that the anti-encroachment drive was conducted based on revenue records. 'If it belongs to the government and has been illegally encroached by people, we need to act on it,' he told The Indian Express. There was no correlation between the violence and the encroachment drive, he claimed. 'The drive against the electricity theft had also begun by September 1,' the newspaper quoted him as saying.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Sambhal mosque violence: Eight months on, fact-finding committee releases report
Eight months after violence rocked Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal over a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, that left at least five people dead, a fact-finding committee has released a report on what led to the incident and its aftermath. The survey of the 16-century mosque was ordered by a local court on November 19, after a petition claimed a temple had been demolished to build the mosque in 1526. The order had been passed by the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division), Chandausi, Aditya Singh. The first survey took place on November 19. It was during the second survey on November 24 that violence broke out. The 114-page report was released on Tuesday by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), in collaboration with Karwan-e-Mohabbat. The report, titled 'Sambhal: Anatomy of an Engineered Crisis – Myth, Violence, and the Weaponisation of Faith in a Muslim-majority city', alleged that on November 24, a slogan-shouting crowd accompanied officials and the mosque's ablution tank was drained — seen by many as a symbolic act of desecration — and this triggered violent clashes. Sambhal District Magistrate, Dr Rajender Pensiya, called the report a farce. Speaking to The Indian Express, Pensiya said a report can say anything. 'People became violent and started pelting stones at the police and the administration. The entire country heard the announcement when we were requesting them to go back,' he said. 'As far as the rumour of digging inside the mosque premises is concerned, if there was any digging, the soil would have been placed outside,' he said. Prepared by researcher Prakriti, Advocate Ahmad Ibrahim and activist Harsh Mandar, the report highlights two major issues — the process of the survey and what happened after it. 'On November 19, (advocate) Hari Shankar Jain and son Vishnu Shankar Jain, alongside Mahant Rishiraj Giri, priest of the Kela Devi Mandir, filed a petition in the district court in the morning requesting an immediate survey of the mosque, claiming it was actually a temple,' said the report. It said the government's advocate in this case did not raise any objections and an 'ex parte judgement' was passed in the afternoon, without hearing the mosque's representatives, allowing the survey to proceed within hours. 'Suspicion and unease spread among Muslim residents, intensified by the lack of standard precautionary protocols, such as notifying the Peace Committee or following basic communication norms,' it claimed. It further said, 'Police responded to the crowd of protesting Muslims with lathi charges, tear gas, and gunfire. Five Muslim men were killed, dozens injured, and over 85 were arrested. Eyewitness testimonies and videos contradict the official narrative that the crowd was violent.' The report further claimed in the weeks following the clash, 'police conducted house-to-house raids in Muslim neighbourhoods, filed dubious FIRs, and targeted political figures and activists'. As per the report, a few weeks after the violence, the Sambhal administration launched an anti-encroachment drive on December 14, specifically targeting areas like Sarai Tarin Main Market, Hindupura Kheda, Deepa Sarai, Khaggu Sarai, including areas near the residences of Samajwadi Party MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq, MLA Iqbal Mehmood, and SP leaders Aqeelur Rehman Khan and Firoz Khan that were affected by the unrest. The District Magistrate, however, said the actions were taken based on revenue records. 'If it belongs to the government and has been illegally encroached by people, we need to act on it,' he said. DM Pensiya also said that there was no correlation between the violence and the encroachment drive in the district. 'Encroachment drives are a regular process of any administration and it has nothing to do with the violence. The drive against the electricity theft had also begun by September 1,' he said. As for the ablution tank, he said it was emptied to check its depth. So far, 79 people, including three women, have been arrested. Last month, police filed a chargesheet against MP Barq and 22 others in connection with the case, officials had said. The police had also said that the investigation found no involvement of Sohail Iqbal in inciting the violence at the mosque, though he was present at the spot. Iqbal is the son of the local Samajwadi Party MLA, Iqbal Mehmood.
Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘At least 30 witnesses and 30 assailants': civil society groups release report on Mangaluru mob lynching
Civil society groups have released a 'fact-finding report' on an incident in which a mob beat a Kerala man to death in Mangaluru on April 27 claiming that he raised a pro-Pakistan slogan near a cricket field. The civil society groups, including the People's Union for Civil Liberties, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, and the All India Lawyers Association for Justice, released the report in Bengaluru on June 28. Alongside its findings, the 164-page report explains the background of the situation in Dakshina Kannada and includes a detailed timeline of the incident as well as testimonies from locals, those who knew the victim, and police officers. The report stated, 'This mob lynching did not happen in the wee hours of the night in stealth. Based on the testimonies, it is starkly clear that the mob lynching of Mohammed Ashraf took place in broad daylight with at least 30 witnesses and 30 people beating him to death. Those who undertook this lynching had no fear of consequences. They acted with absolute impunity as self-appointed vigilantes who are not held accountable either by law or the people.' Pointing out that it was not certain that Ashraf had actually raised slogans mentioning Pakistan as it might have been misinformation spread by the accused, the report went on to question whether this could at all be a justification for murder. Mavalli Sankar, convener of the Dr Ambedkar Dalitha Sangharsha Samiti (Ambedkarvaada), stated that in such cases officials must at least visit families of the affected to ensure trust in the rule of law. He also highlighted a demand of the brother of Mohammed Ashraf, the victim, that this ought to be the last such lynching incident. According to Maitreyi Krishnan of the All India Lawyers Association for Justice, the incident was not a mere murder but a hate crime. She noted that in the Tehseen Poonawalla judgment, the Supreme Court had described hate crimes as a 'product of ideological dominance and prejudice which ought not to be tolerated, lest it result in a reign of terror'. The report said the local law enforcement agencies were not aware of the mandates of the Tehseen Poonawalla judgment.
