Hyderabad: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has condemned the arrest of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan along with several others in Uttar Pradesh, calling the move unjust and politically motivated. Addressing the media, AIMPLB spokesperson S.Q.R. Ilyas demanded their immediate release and criticised what he described as misuse of police authority.
Mr. Ilyas stressed that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and should not be treated as a criminal act. He pointed out that the cases in Kanpur were filed over banners with the slogan “I Love Muhammad,” which, according to him, is neither provocative nor unlawful. He added that Maulana Khan had explicitly called for peaceful demonstrations and had not endorsed violence in any form.
The AIMPLB urged the Uttar Pradesh government to withdraw all charges and restore confidence in democratic freedoms. The organisation said that targeting individuals for expressing religious devotion through peaceful means undermines both justice and the spirit of the Constitution.
Civil society groups and legal observers have echoed concerns over the arrests, noting that such actions risk deepening mistrust between communities and authorities. The AIMPLB maintained that dissent expressed through non-violent gatherings is part of India’s democratic ethos and warned against the dangers of criminalising lawful expression.
The board called upon the state to respect the rights of citizens and ensure that law enforcement acts with fairness and impartiality.
