Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam on the organised, sustained anti-Muslim violence in Mulayam-Akhilesh rule.

Today widespread planned violence against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh has become a norm. As many as 35 anti-Muslim riots, mostly in eastern UP, have been recorded.

Intimidation, harassment and daily provocation like putting slaughtered piglets in mosques is reported from Bhatni and Padrauna districts in eastern UP. The provocateurs are known, and Muslims have complained against them, to no avail.

These are areas where Gorakhpur’s Mahant Aditya Nath’s parallel rule runs. Nath is known for his fiery anti-Muslim speeches and public programmes where he preaches violence against Muslims. Audio and video cassettes of these speeches are widely available.

Under Mayawati’s government this mahant was jailed for lawlessness. Weeping like women, he publicly claimed that he was beaten up in jail. Another man, notorious for his lawless behaviour, Raja Bhaiya, was also jailed. Mulayam befriended both of them to spite Mayawati, which was bad for Muslims.

The UP police are either pro-BJP or pro-BSP (if they are from some OBCs or SCs). No group is particularly interested in doing its constitutional duties of protecting citizens from organised attacks. This is particularly the case in Padrauna district where everyday Muslims are being harassed and attacked freely.

Tokenism is the ruling principle in UP. One example of such tokenism is the constitution of Nimesh Commission to know how many Muslims are in jail on false charges of terrorism. The commission found the evidence that a numbers of them are jailed on concocted charges of terror and recommended their immediate release.

When one of them, Khalid Mujahid, was being brought to Lucknow jail from Faizabad, he died mysteriously on way. Before postmortem examination, his pictures were taken which showed signs of beating and torture. He was in kurta-pyjama when he boarded the police truck, but he was brought to Barabanki hospital (where he was declared brought dead) in T Shirt and the lower of a track suit.

It is easy to see why Mujahid’s family and his lawyers are saying he was murdered by the police in cold blood.

The government’s tokenism has hurt Muslims deeply. On the recommendation of the Nimesh Commission it moved court to free Mujahid and others who were found innocent by the commission. The court rejected the plea because it was not accompanied by the commission report. The due process required submission of the report before the court. This tokenism cost Mujahid his life because the police were afraid of his ultimate acquittal.

All this is happening under the shadow of Mulayam Singh Yadav who was once given the title of Maulana Mulayam by the Sangh. This situation reminds everyone of the need for better Muslim representation in UP police and PAC.