Quran burning: Muslim body wants culprits arrested in 15 days

District Muslim Youth Federation Hakattur unit secretary Altaf has urged police to arrest those accused of burning Qur’an at a masjid in Igurul, Somwarpet, within 15 days.

Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, he said miscreants also set lawyer Padmanabha’s car on fire. He said MLA M P Appacchu Ranjan was indulging in “caste  politics” while MP Shobha Karandlaje had issued an “irresponsible” statement that the mosque had been abandoned. He challenged BJP’s claim that Kodagu was its stronghold and asked the legislators to declare that they were not dependent Muslims’ vote in the upcoming Assembly elections.

They said they would stage a protest in front of the deputy commissioner’s office if the accused were not arrested within 15 days. He said in spite of attacks on mosques in Kushalnagar, Kandakkare, Titimati, Hakattur and other places, police had not arrrested any suspects.

He refuted the allegations levelled against Assistant Director of Land Records (ADLR) Shamshuddin and said that he was being targetted because he was a Muslim.

He said Shamshuddin had been part of the technical committee formed by Supreme Court in connection with Ballari boundary case and had represented the state in the capacity of an expert.

Kodagu Muslim Youth Federation Hakattur unit President Abdul Khader, Madani, Shamshuddin, Nizamuddin and Sharafat were present.