Mosque president in MP booked over imam’s stay, seen as fallout of Milad procession row

The booking of the president of a mosque committee in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district for failing to inform authorities about the stay of a newly appointed imam has emerged as the latest follow-up to the ruckus created by right-wing Hindu groups during the Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession, with villagers alleging that such actions reflect a nefarious intention to frame Muslims since only they are being subjected to scrutiny.

Mohammad Hanif, who heads the mosque committee in Kharkala village, had temporarily appointed Akhtar Raza from Bihar as imam, and while the committee intended to confirm him permanently, police filed a case under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for contempt of a duly promulgated order, claiming Hanif failed to provide prior information about Raza’s stay, according to Maktoob Media.

Although Raza was accommodated in a space allocated by the mosque committee and was in the process of securing separate housing, authorities insisted that district rules mandate prior intimation to police regarding outsiders, and the case was registered even as community members argued that similar practices by others are overlooked.

The action came in the backdrop of communal tensions that erupted during recent religious festivities, when members of Hindu nationalist groups disrupted the Milad-un-Nabi procession by objecting to its traditional route through Hindu-dominated lanes, while Hindu processions such as Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations continued through Muslim areas without objection.

Locals believe the FIR against the mosque president must be seen in connection with these tensions, interpreting it as part of a pattern of measures designed to disturb communal harmony in a village with a Hindu-Muslim ratio of about 70:30.

Police confirmed that FIRs were filed in disputes linked to both religious celebrations, yet residents point out that only Muslims face scrutiny over compliance with administrative orders, and they view the legal action as an extension of targeted policing.

The verification of Raza’s documents and details of his family, carried out after the case was registered, has further deepened resentment, as community members argue that the state machinery is being selectively employed to monitor and control Muslim presence in the village.