Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal police and administration are on high alert ahead of Friday prayers (Juma Namaz). Extra police force has been deployed since morning in sensitive areas of the city.
The alert comes after AIMIM state president Mohsin Gautam demanded the immediate arrest of people accused of assaulting a Muslim youth, smearing cow dung on his face, and blackening it with ink.
He had warned on Tuesday that if no action was taken by Friday, protests would be held.
Police said 5 accused have already been arrested and sent to jail in connection with the case.
Bhopal’s city qazi Mushtaq Ali Nadvi also released a video appealing to people to maintain peace and not get influenced by rumours or provocation.
Police deployed outside masjid in Bhopal |
Barricading near Iqbal Maidan and Moti Masjid, Bhopal |
Regarding the matter, ACP Chandrashekhar Pandey said, "Today is the day of Juma's namaz and namaz is being offered in all mosques, no one is facing any trouble. Police arrangements are in place. Adequate forces have been deployed everywhere... Peace and tranquility are being maintained here and the police is fully alert.
Extra security has been deployed outside major mosques in the old city, including Taj-ul-Masajid, Moti Masjid, Jama Masjid, Pirgate and other mosques in the Itwara and Budhwara areas. Friday prayers will be offered between 12:40 pm and 2:45 pm.
What was the matter?
On May 10, a 27-year-old Muslim man was allegedly beaten and publicly humiliated by Bajrang Dal activists in Bhopal.
It is said, he was found with a Hindu woman in a hotel room in the Gautam Nagar area.
The incident took place around 6 pm under the Govindpura police station area. The activists accused the man of ‘Love Jihad.’
According to reports, the group assaulted the man, smeared black ink and cow dung on his face, partially removed his clothes, and created chaos before police arrived.
However, during the incident, the woman told police that the man had neither forced nor harassed her. She also said that she had been living in a live-in relationship with him.
