On Tuesday (30th January), Dharwad Zilla Durbala Alpasankyatara Abhivrudhi Seva Sangha demanded that the Anjuman-e-Islam organisation defer elections until those imprisoned in the Hubballi riots case are released on bail.
The Sangha president IM Torgal stated that the Old Hubballi incident has “morally discouraged” the Muslim community.“There is dissidence between two groups. Due to mistakes committed by some youths, their family members are suffering a lot. Therefore, the Anjuman-e-Islam should not hold elections until all of them get bail,” he urged.
Torgal stated that Anjuman-e-Islam’s sitting president, Yusuf Savanur should resign immediately. “If elections were to be held, they should be fair and impartial,” he said.
It is worth recalling that in April last year, Anjuman-e-Islam had announced to take up the legal fight on behalf of those arrested for the mob violence unleashed in Hubballi, Karnataka. Post the violence unleashed by the Islamist mob, the Muslim body is providing legal support to the 154 arrested individuals.
As reported earlier, violence had gripped Hubballi on the 16th of April 2022 after an Islamist mob had laid siege at the Old Hubli police station. The violence that was unleashed was after the Muslim mob thought the police were not acting against a Hindu man who had allegedly sent an “objectionable post” over WhatsApp, that offended the Islamic sensibilities and religious feelings.
A mob had gathered outside the Old Hubli Police Station at the time, demanding action against a person who posted an ‘objectionable social media post’. A case was earlier registered against that person identified as Abhishek Hiremath and he was subsequently arrested. However, the mob assembled outside the police station and turned violent, pelting stones at the station and police vehicles. Following this, the mob allegedly hurled stones at a nearby Hanuman temple and a hospital.
Just days before extending legal support for the Muslim mob arrested for the violence, Anjuman-E-Islami had offered “puja” at the Hanumantha temple in Dharwad in a show of “solidarity” and “brotherhood”.
As reported earlier, the police investigations revealed links of the mob involved in violence with Raza Academy, a radical Islamist outfit responsible for the 2012 Azad Maidan riots in Mumbai. A provocative speech by a controversial Muslim cleric named Maulana Wasim outside the Old Hubballi police station had enraged the Muslim mob culminating in attacks against the police station in Hubballi. The violent mob had attempted to kill the policemen. In their complaint, police constables Anil Kandekar and Manjunath from Kasaba police station described how they narrowly escaped being lynched by the irate fanatics.
In December last year, 35 accused persons in the Old Hubballi riots case were granted bail. Mohammed Yousuf Savanur, president, Anjuman-E-Islam, Hubballi-Dharwad had said that earlier the court granted bail to 11 accused.
In October last year, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar sought the withdrawal of the 2022 Hubballi riot cases in a letter to the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Hitendra.
