Maulana Mahmood Asad Madani Write Letter To Amit Shah on ‘Rise Of Communal Tensions In Uttarakhand'

On Tuesday Maulana Mahmood Asad Madani who is the leader of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind expressed his profound concerns about the escalating communal tensions in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. In a letter addressed to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami Maulana Madani shared his concerns about the "overt threat of expulsion" that the Muslim community in Uttarkashi is facing.

Madani alerted the Home Minister and the Chief Minister in his letter that the impending mahapanchayat on June 15—which has been convened by right-wing organizations—could spark additional intercommunal conflict in the state. He continued by saying that in addition to asking you to personally step in and issue the necessary order, he also urged you to take tough action against forces that were dividing society. He also gave law enforcement agencies instructions to ensure that every citizen was safe and secure, regardless of their ethnicity or religion.

Since two men attempted to kidnap a girl on May 26, there has been unrest in Uttarkashi. Due to this, many right-wing organisations referred to it as a "love jihad" plot. He stated that he begged them to put a stop to the event (maha-panchayat) planned for June 15 since it would spark a racial clash in the state and widen the gap between the Hindu and Muslim communities.

The Maha Panchayat convened by Hindu organisations on June 15 was also refused permission by the Uttarakashi district administration.

Additionally, Madani urged them to take severe action against "forces sowing discord" and to safeguard the lives and property of Indian residents. He wrote, describing Uttarakhand as a state with excellent law and order conditions and communal harmony.

The dispute started when a 14-year-old girl was allegedly the target of an attempted kidnapping on May 26 by two males, Ubed Khan (24), and Jitender Saini (23). The two were taken into custody the next day.

Right-wing organisations asserted that it was a "love jihad" plot. On May 29, an anti-government demonstration in Purola descended into violence when some demonstrators attacked Muslim-owned businesses. On June 3, a similar demonstration was conducted.

During the rallies, posters appeared threatening Muslim business owners with closure by June 15. Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Muslim religious leaders have also called for a "mahapanchayat" on June 18 to protest what they have described as "increasing targeting" of their group.

Madani also said, “The inaction on the part of the government and its agencies further aggravated this critical communal situation. They are openly putting up posters and releasing videos and unfortunately, local police are standing as mere spectators," reported Hindustan Times. He added that Islamophobia and communalism are becoming more prevalent in the state, further separating society and undermining intercommunal harmony.

To take strong action against individuals "harassing" Muslims in Purola town, members of the Uttarakhand Waqf Board and the Haj Committee met with the chief minister Dhami on Tuesday. In a memo they sent to the chief minister, the members said that Muslims in the state had been "hurt, harassed, and scared."