UP cleric arrested for making 'provocative' comments on Atiq, Ashraf, Azam

Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): Maulana Tauqeer Raza, a cleric and the head of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, has been detained by police for reportedly making 'provocative' comments at a recent public demonstration in support of the killed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad.

Raza had purportedly said at an election meeting in Faridpur on May 7, that the "killings of Atiq and his brother Ashraf should be avenged". He further said that people from his community should also avenge the 'insult' and 'humiliation' meted out to senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.

Raza has been booked under IPC section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) after videos of his speech went viral on social media.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of sub-inspector Gaurav Kumar, a police outpost in-charge in Faridpur.

In his complaint, Kumar said Raza addressed public meetings in several places where he made provocative speeches and hurt the religious sentiments of people which could have disrupted peace in society.

The case has been handed over to SI Sunil Bhardwaj for investigation.

Meanwhile, reacting to the FIR, Raza said, "It seems now we do not even have the right to speak. We condemn the way Atiq and his brother were murdered in police custody but the statement was clearly misinterpreted and distorted to frame me. I was addressing an election rally. Saying 'revenge' doesn't mean we will take up arms. It means we will cast our vote together to show them the power of democracy."

Atiq and Ashraf were recently shot dead by three men disguised as media persons in front of police in Prayagraj.

The cleric said, "I just want to say that I am not scared of these cases. The government cannot silence my voice by piling cases on me. The government is indirectly trying to snatch away our community's right to vote. Look at how they are treating Azam Khan."

With inputs from IANS