New Delhi: The President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Syed Sadatullah Husaini has voiced concern over the recent judgment by an NIA-ATS Court that convicted Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, Maulana Umar Gautam and 14 others for their alleged involvement in illegal conversion cases.
In a statement today, JIH President expressed profound dismay and concern over the ruling of NIA-ATS Court that has convicted Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, Maulana Umar Gautam and 12 others under sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 417,120B, 153A, 153B, 295A, 121A, 123 and the Illegal Conversion Act (sections 3, 4, and 5) and awarded the life-imprisonment and other punishments to the accused.
The JIH President said, “We strongly differ with the Hon’ble Court’s assessment regarding the levelling of such grave charges. In a democratic country like India, who can force someone to change his religion? Islam does not allow it at all. Every individual has the right to choose, practice, and propagate the religion of his/her choice, and this right is enshrined in our Constitution. No authority can deprive a citizen of this right. The gravity of the allegations – terrorism, criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity, and plotting offenses against the state – are not only baseless but also set a deeply troubling precedent. Such accusations, in our view, undermine the very principles of justice and democracy that our Constitution seeks to uphold.
“It seems that the entire case has been created to send a certain message to people from minority communities who are practicing their constitutionally guaranteed right of practice and propagation of faith without any fear or coercion.”
The JIH President further said, “The manner in which Maulana Siddiqui and Maulana Gautam were arrested and implicated coupled with the sensationalized reactions of certain media outlets, showed that the entire exercise was meant to exploit public sentiments by creating a charged atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and hatred for gaining political mileage. This case sets a dangerous precedent, casting a shadow over the fundamental right to practice and propagate the religion of one’s choice. Creating a communal and emotionally charged atmosphere to divert attention from the real public issues is highly regrettable.
The JIH President also urged justice-loving people, organizations, and political parties to raise their voices against such injustice.
“We hope the case can be escalated to higher courts to seek redressal on the above conviction. The case is related to fundamental rights, personal liberty, and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India. Any violation of these rights and liberties is an endorsement of majoritarianism and authoritarianism and a threat to democracy and the rule of constitutional law,” the statement said.
