A Congress leader has filed a complaint against another leader for allegedly defaming him and others on social media over the recent decision to close the Eid-e-Milad festival in local streets and change the timings of processions due to communal violence that has gripped the city. earlier this month.
This year, community leaders in Surat have decided that the Eid-e-Milad religious procession will not be taken out from Raj Marg – the main road of the city. Besides, the procession time will be from 11am to 2.30pm, like in the evenings, to ensure that it does not coincide with the aarti on the eve of Ganesh Visarjan on September 16.
According to the FIR filed by Congress leader Mustak Kanunga, former Surat founder Aslam Cyclewala and 10 others defamed him and senior community leaders by sharing “stirring and hateful” messages on social media.
Police have arrested six people in connection with the FIR. Cyclewala and others are yet to be arrested.
Besides Cyclewala, an FIR was lodged against Liyakatali Saiyed, Salman, Wasim, Musaji Lukman, Raju Qureshi, Irfan Mansuri, Mazhar Saiyed, Sajju Bapu, Saeed Achha, and an unidentified person, at the Lalgate police station on Sunday.
Liyakatali, Mazhar, Mansuri, Lukman, Qureshi, and Salman were arrested on Monday.
The FIR said, “Keeping in mind the tense situation in the city, both the committee members (Surat Eid-e-Milad committee and Sirat-un-nabi committee) called a meeting with the Shanti Samiti committees of various areas and decided to hold a procession. it will be released in the morning…not on the highways.” The police have registered cases under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to inciting enmity on religious grounds; willful and malicious acts intended to offend religious sentiments; criminal intimidation; intentional insult; and general purpose, among others.
According to the FIR: “On September 8, communal riots took place between two communities in the Saiyedpura police station of Surat, over the incident of stoning of a minor child at the Ganesh Pandal in the Variyavi Bazaar area. The peaceful atmosphere in the city was marred by the clashes.”
The FIR further stated, “On September 13, under the leadership of Surat police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut, a meeting was organized at Surat Police Bhavan, which was attended by Muslim community leaders, including Kadir Pirzada (who is also a member of the Congress Committee of Gujarat Pradesh), Kanunga, BJP minor party president Mohsin Mirza, Surat Tazia city committee president Arshad Kalyani, and members of both the Eid-e-Milad committees and the Shree Surat Ganesh Visarjan committee.
The FIR said, “The decision not to take the Eid-e-Milad procession out of the street and to end it before nightfall was accepted by all… However, some people posted pictures of those present on social media and called them traitors.” . Kanunga and Pirzada were the main targets of the suspects.”
Speaking to Indian Express, Pirzada said, “There are certain people in the society who criticize any good that is done for the benefit of the society…
On the other hand, Cyclewala said, “In all my political career, I have never used a word or phrase, which harms the harmony of the city community. I was made an accused… to damage my political reputation.”
Lalgate Police Inspector NM Chaudhary said, “We have arrested six of the 11 accused named in the police complaint. We are looking for others.”