The arrest of Maulana Mohd Abdul Qavi, a religious scholar and founder of Idare Ashraf ul Uloom, a religious seminary, by the Gujarat police in a 10 year-old-case was termed as a ‘politically motivated’ move. Arrest condemned
At a public meeting held here on Tuesday, religious scholars, academicians and politicians condemned his arrest.
They said Maulana Qavi was a victim of political conspiracy and threatened to intensify the agitation if he was not released.
‘Calculated move’“It is a calculated move by the BJP to threaten Muslim scholars. Otherwise why will the Gujarat police arrest a religious scholar just before elections,” said Telangana Rasthra Samithi leader, Mahmood Ali. The view was echoed by MBT leader, Amjedullah Khan too.
“If they (security agencies) really view him as a threat to the country why didn’t they arrest him earlier?” he asked. Muslim Personal Law Board member Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahman accused the BJP of conspiring against Muslim scholars and foisting false cases against them. He described the maulana as a peace loving scholar who had organised several anti-terrorism meetings across the country. Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed, president, Jamiatul Ulema, A.P, Majlis MLA Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala, Aziz Pasha (CPI), Muzaffar Ali (TDP) and other religious scholars also spoke on the occasion.
