On March 25, several Islamists and their apologists, including Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, Ashok Swain, and their friendly leftist media outlets such as Scroll and India Today’s The Lallantop, resorted to spreading lies that the Moradabad police, in connivance with members of the Hindu outfit Bajrang Dal, prevented Muslims from praying in a privately owned Moradabad warehouse during Ramzan.
The Moradabad police, however, took to Twitter to fact-check the lies propagated by the assorted bunch of Islamists and the leftist liberals, by confirming that the group of Muslims was indeed allowed to carry out the prayers on Saturday, that too in the presence of police.
— MORADABAD POLICE (@moradabadpolice) March 27, 2023
In a statement, the Moradabad Police said that they received a complaint about the prayer meeting from residents of the city’s Lajpat Nagar area, which has a “Hindu majority/mixed population”. The meeting was allowed to be held on Saturday in the presence of police, but Muslims of the area have been asked to offer prayers in their homes or religious places, the statement said.
Zakir Hussain, who had organised the prayer meeting in his warehouse, has submitted a written statement to the police station agreeing not to hold any more similar congregations, the police added.
The Moradabad police responded after several Twitter users shared two videos online to propagate their lies. In the first video, Rohan Saxena, state president of the Bajrang Dal, was heard saying that he and fellow members of Bajrang dal had lodged a complaint with the Moradabad police against one Zakir Hussain who assembled 20-30 people for a prayer meeting in his warehouse in Moradabad. In the second video, UP police officials were seen standing outside Zakir Hussain’s purported godown.
Several Islamists and the assorted bunch of liberals used both these videos extensively to push their fake propaganda against the UP police, to which the latter promptly responded.
Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair was amongst the first to propagate the vile campaign against the Moradabad police. He retweeted several posts by like-minded ‘liberals’ like The Wire journalist Kaushik Raj and some Islamists to cast aspersions on UP police.
Police is basically saying that Mr. Zakir Hussain can’t offer Taraweeh Namaz at his OWN godown with 25 of his friends just because some Hindus of the locality objected. Is offering Namaz inside someone’s OWN home/shop a crime now? https://t.co/rPh9K2sSQM
— Kaushik Raj (@kaushikrj6) March 26, 2023
24/03/2023, Lajpat Nagar, Moradabad
— زماں (@Delhiite_) March 26, 2023
members of Bajrang Dal have stopped the offering of Taraweeh prayers at home & complained it to Police
After this, SSP requested to stop offering Taraweeh namaz in his own house@moradabadpolice Now a Muslim cannot offer Namaz even at home? pic.twitter.com/JNGM1Xo692
Zubair didn’t stop at this. He took to Twitter to further attack the UP police after it posted its response on the issue. “Here comes a statement by @moradabadpolice on Tareveeh offered in a godown. During Ramzan, Most Mosques are full, People usually prefer reading Tareveeh at Function halls/Houses/Godowns during Ramzan. This has been the practice. What’s wrong? Why give in to pressure by RW orgs?”
Here comes a statement by @moradabadpolice on Tareveeh offered in a godown. During Ramzan, Most Mosques are full, People usually prefer reading Tareveeh at Function halls/Houses/Godowns during Ramzan. This has been the practice. What’s wrong? Why give in to pressure by RW orgs? pic.twitter.com/RlMwdaObJd
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) March 26, 2023
Meer Faisal, a columnist with The Wire, shared the first video and wrote, “In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, members of the Bajrang Dal have stopped offering Taraweeh prayers at home and complained about it to the police. After this, SSP requested to stop offering Taraweeh namaz in his own house. #Islamophobia #Hindutva”
In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, members of the Bajrang Dal have stopped offering Taraweeh prayers at home and complained about it to the police. After this, SSP requested to stop offering Taraweeh namaz in his own house. #Islamophobia #Hindutva pic.twitter.com/0Cyzugfaja
— Meer Faisal (@meerfaisal01) March 26, 2023
Repeating the falsehood, AIMIM’s Muzaffarpur’s social media in-charge Mehndi Hasan tweeted in Hindi, “Taraweeh prayers were being offered at Zakir Hussain’s iron godown in Moradabad’s Lajpat Nagar, on the complaint of a Bajrang Dal worker, the police stopped the prayers, neighbors and family members used to offer prayers at Zakir Hussain’s godown. But @Uppolice has objection to offering namaz, shame.”
मुरादाबाद के लाजपत नगर में ज़ाकिर हुसैन के आयरन गौदाम में तरावीह की नमाज़ अदा की जा रही थी,बजरंग दल के कार्यकर्ता की शिकायत पर पहुंची पुलिस ने नमाज़ पढ़ने पर लगाई रोक,ज़ाकिर हुसैन के गौदाम में पड़ोसी,परिवार के लोग नमाज़ अदा करते थे लेकिन @Uppoliceको नमाज़ पढ़ने से आपत्ति है,शर्म pic.twitter.com/4UOa6I2ahX
— Mehdi Hasan (@MehdiHa67774942) March 27, 2023
In the same instance, Millat Times also shared the second video wherein some UP police officials were seen outside Zakir Hussain’s warehouse and tweeted in Hindi, “In Moradabad’s Lajpat Nagar, an iron store owner made arrangements to perform Taraweeh prayers in his warehouse, but the locals protested to the police that the warehouse was being converted into a religious site, after which the police reached the spot and stopped them from offering Taraweeh prayers.
मुरादाबाद के लाजपत नगर में जाकर आयरन स्टोर के मालिक ने अपने गोदाम में तरावीह की नमाज पढ़ने का एहतमाम किया तो वहां के निवासियों ने पुलिस को शिकायत कर दी कि गोदाम को धर्मस्थल बनाया जा रहा है जिसके बाद पुलिस आ गई और तरावीह की नमाज पढ़ने पर रोक लगा दिया।#Ramzan2023 #Taraweeh pic.twitter.com/VbGRu9W1Ll
— Millat Times (@Millat_Times) March 26, 2023
No sooner did the website post the video, a Twitter user going by the handle @shuja_2006, used the video to push false propaganda to portray Muslims as victims. “Indian #Muslim now even can not offer prayer at home during the holy month #Ramadhan Taraweeh prayers were being offered at Zakir Hussain’s iron godown in Moradabad’s Lajpat Nagar, on the complaint of a Bajrang Dal worker, the police stopped the prayers, neighbors and family members used to offer prayers at Zakir Hussain’s godown. But Up police has an objection to offering namaz at home,” the tweet read.
Indian #Muslim now even can not offer prayer at home during the holy month #Ramadhan
— Shuja (@shuja_2006) March 26, 2023
Taraweeh prayers were being offered at Zakir Hussain’s iron godown in Moradabad’s Lajpat Nagar, on the complaint of a Bajrang Dal worker, the police stopped the prayers, neighbors and family… pic.twitter.com/ozq98grd0Y
Ashok Swain, the habitual fake news peddlers and leftist propagandist, shared the video and wrote, “Muslims in Moradabad, UP, India, were offering namaz inside their house and the Hindu supremacists with the police stopped the namaz. Where will Muslims pray in India if they can’t do that inside their houses?”
Muslims in Moradabad, UP, India, were offering namaz inside their house and the Hindu supremacists with the police stopped the namaz. Where will Muslims pray in India if they can’t do that inside their houses? pic.twitter.com/AgxMbJcgJt
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) March 26, 2023
Congress leader Mir Ilyas also chimed in by propagating the same lie that the ‘Hindu supremacists in connivance with the Uttar Pradesh police stopped Muslims from offering namaz inside their house.’
Muslims in Moradabad, UP, India, were offering namaz inside their house and the Hindu supremacists with the police stopped the namaz. Where will Muslims pray in India if they can’t do that inside their houses? #UPPolice #GameChanger #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/2PUfw0AJf7
— Mir Ilyas (@INC_Congress_UP) March 27, 2023
RJD MLA Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi also joined the bandwagon. “@Uppolice don’t act against the principles and philosophies of the Constitution. Your action in Moradabad will have a far reaching effect. Stop this indiscriminate humiliation of muslims. Take action against the miscreants, don’t side with them. @moradabadpolice#Namaz#Taraweeh,” he wrote.
@Uppolice don’t act against the principles and philosophies of the Constitution. Your action in Moradabad will have a far reaching effect. Stop this indiscriminate humiliation of muslims. Take action against the miscreants, don’t side with them. @moradabadpolice#Namaz #Taraweeh
— Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi (@AnzarNayeemiRJD) March 26, 2023
Another troll who goes by the name Anjali Mody also shared the videos posted by ‘journalist’ @WasimAkramTyagi to spread similar propaganda. “Man in the video identifies as a member of the Bajrang Dal, youth wing of the #VHP, a #Modi-BJP-RSS linked org, branches in the UK&US. Aided by Moradabad police, he has stopped #Ramzan prayers being said inside the privately owned warehouse of a Muslim resident. #India@g20org,” she tweeted.
Man in the video identifies as a member of the Bajrang Dal, youth wing of the #VHP, a #Modi-BJP-RSS linked org, branches in the UK&US. Aided by Moradabad police, he has stopped #Ramzan prayers being said inside the privately owned warehouse of a Muslim resident. #India @g20org https://t.co/uc7KS71HJ1
— anjali mody (@AnjaliMody1) March 26, 2023
Leftist-friendly media houses like India Today’s The Lallantop and Scroll also joined in to claim that the Moradabad police acted against the Muslims and stopped them from offering Namaz at their house, based on complaints filed by the Hindu organisation.
‘तरावीह’ की नमाज पढ़ने को लेकर मुरादाबाद में विवाद, बजरंग दल ने कहा- इलाके में नई परंपरा नहीं शुरू होने देंगे. पुलिस के मुताबिक स्थानीय लोगों ने नमाज का विरोध किया जिसके बाद पुलिस मौके पर पहुंची.#Moradabad #UttarPradesh https://t.co/BpFGwjjaZa
— The Lallantop (@TheLallantop) March 27, 2023
Vernacular media houses like Dainik Bhaskar also made similar assertions that the UP police in connivance with the Bajrang Dal members stopped Muslims from offering prayers.
The Moradabad police, nevertheless, responded to almost every such vile tweet to clarify that the prayer meeting was, indeed, allowed to be held on Saturday in the presence of police. Muslims of the area have, however, been asked to refrain from holding such public prayer meets and to offer prayers in their homes or designated religious places in the future.
