On Saturday (March 19), the Madurai police booked three people associated with the Islamist outfit Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamaat (TNTJ). The development comes 2 days after they issued death threats to Karnataka High Court judges, who delivered the verdict in the hijab case.
A complaint was filed against TNTJ functionaries for making derogatory remarks and issuing threats to judges. Three members of the Islamist outfit were booked by the police under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153a (promoting enmity between religions/groups and classes), 505 (1c) (inciting violence), 502 (2), and 506(1) (criminal intimidation).
The Madurai police informed that a search has been initiated to nab the three accused.
Three Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) functionaries were booked under 5 sections for making derogatory remarks at a public meeting in the Goripalayam area against Karnataka High Court Hijab verdict. We are searching all the three accused: Madurai Police
— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2022
The Background of the controversy
On Tuesday (March 15), the Karnataka High Court held that Hijab is not an essential practice in Islam and that uniform is a reasonable restriction on the Right to Religion.
Two days later on March 17, Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) leader Covai R. Rahmatullah announced that if Karnatka High Court judges get killed over the hijab case verdict, then, they will themselves be responsible for their death.
The Islamist insinuated that the Judiciary had sold itself to the BJP and that the court’s decision was both invalid and illegal. Rahmatullah had alleged that the Karnataka High Court pronounced the verdict on the behest of Amit Shah.
While casting aspersion on the intent of the High Court, the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath leader said that judges should be ashamed of themselves for their ‘biased’ judgment. He claimed that court verdicts must be based on the constitution and not on the personal beliefs of the judges.
Covai R. Rahmatullah was also heard saying that while sadhus could roam naked in India, Muslim girls were being prevented from wearing modest clothing like the hijab.
“If you attack on Muslims, we will get on the ground…We are not afraid of Modi, yogi and Amit shah. We are only afraid of Allah. Don’t make us lose patience. If we lose patience, then, you won’t exist,” he had warned.
A Twitter user named Vishwatma (@HLKodo) pointed out how young children were made to give death threats and raise violent slogans.
We have seen a video recently wherein some radical elements threatening our Judiciary & our Hon. Judges of dire consequences based on the judgments rendered by them
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 19, 2022
I have written to our Hon. Chief Justice, Madras High Court & urging His Lord Ship to look into this urgently! pic.twitter.com/yeBKVZh3tn
After the video by TNTJ went viral on social media, BJP (Tamil Nadu) chief K Annamalai wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, seeking action against the accused.
“We have seen a video recently wherein some radical elements threatening our Judiciary & our Hon. Judges of dire consequences based on the judgments rendered by them,” he had said.
