On 13th June 2023, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind led by Maulana Mahmood Madani published a press release to inform that it has written a letter to the union home minister Amit Shah regarding the recent communal situation in Uttarakhand. In the letter, the president of the Islamic organisation Maulana Mahmood Madani urged the union home minister to halt the Mahapanchayat scheduled to be held in Uttarkashi town of the mountain state on 15th June 2023. Madani has stated that this event may lead to ‘communal conflict’ in the state.
In the press release, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind said, “President of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Maulana Mahmood Asa’d Madani has expressed deep concern over the open threat of expulsion of the Muslim community in Uttarkashi Uttarakhand. In this regard, Maulana Madani wrote a letter to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, urging them to take strict action against the forces spreading division and to protect the lives and property of the citizens of India.”
President of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Maulana Mahmood Madani Sb. has expressed deep concern over the open threat of expulsion of the Muslim community in Uttarkashi Uttarakhand. In this regard, Maulana Madani wrote a letter to the Union HM @AmitShah & Uttarakhand CM @pushkardhami,… pic.twitter.com/ZsAjYuIVER
— Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (@JamiatUlama_in) June 13, 2023
According to the press release, Maulana Madani said that Uttarakhand has been an exemplary state in terms of law and order and communal harmony, what is happening in Uttarkashi does not match its nature. He alleged that people in Uttarkashi are openly inciting fear and fanning enmity between the two sects. Maulana Madani also said in the letter that the inaction on the part of the government and its agencies further aggravated this critical communal situation. He also mentioned that this was the land of Uttarakhand where some communal elements threatened to massacre Muslims by holding “Dharma Sansad”.
In his letter, Maulana Madani further said, “The people who organized these programs a year ago are not only beyond the reach of the law, but they are also among the hatemongers and intimidators in this current incident. They are openly putting up posters and releasing videos and unfortunately, local police are standing as mere spectators. The increasing Islamophobia and communalism in the state are further dividing society and eroding communal harmony.”
Maulana Madani further added in his letter to Amit Shah, “I request you to halt the event (Mahapnachayat) scheduled to be held on 15 June 2023, which may lead to a communal conflict in the state and further increase the gulf between Hindu and Muslim communities. I not only request you to personally intervene and issue the necessary order but also to take strict action against divisive forces, besides instructing the law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of every citizen irrespective of their religion and ethnic background.”
Notably, on Wednesday, the Supreme Court of India rejected a request to stop a ‘maha panchayat’ planned by Hindu organisations in Purola, Uttarakhand. Since the Purola love jihad incident, racial tensions have been progressively rising in Purola and neighbouring towns in the Uttarkashi area. A sense of uneasiness has been created among many populations as a result of the increase in tension, along with fears of violence and probable social unrest.
Supreme Court refuses to entertain a plea to prevent 'Mahapanchayat' proposed to be held in Purola town in Uttarakhand amid rising communal tensions in the State.
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2023
Supreme Court allows the petitioner to approach High Court or concerned authorities for relief.
The Purola Pradhan Sangathan has organised a Mahapanchayat to discuss this issue of growing love jihad in the state. This Mahapanchayat will be held on 15th June 2023. It is supported by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal. Earlier, Hindus in Uttarkashi held massive protests against love jihad.
The truth about Purola Love Jihad case: OpIndia ground report
The Uttarkashi region of Uttarakhand is currently the topic of conversation throughout all media outlets and social media. This happened after an alleged love jihad case was reported from the hilly town of Purola in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district. Uved Khan, who was accused of trapping a minor Hindu girl and then attempting to abduct her, was taken into custody on Friday (26 May 2023) from Purola.
While the local Hindus agitated as several similar cases of love jihad continued to emerge in Uttarakhand, Islamists and Leftists yet again made an attempt to whitewash the love jihad cases and instead painted the Muslims as victims.
Many media outlets like Times of India, Zee News, News 18, etc furthered the ‘Dara Hua Musalman‘ narrative by claiming that Muslim traders are being forced to vacate their shops and leave Purola following protests and demonstrations and ultimatums by right-wing Hindu organisations. They further reported how threatening posters have been pasted on shops owned by Muslim traders in Purola town of Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, asking them to vacate the place immediately.
The Purola police had, however, denied several media reports claiming that members of the minority communities have left the city. “Nobody has left the town as it is not that easy to just leave businesses and homes behind in one night. The situation is completely under control. The accused, who were arrested, were produced before the local court which later sent them to jail,” V Murugesan, additional director general of police (law & order) was quoted as saying.
When OpIndia inquired about this issue with certain individuals connected to Hindu organisations in Uttarkashi, the situation turned out to be contrary to what had been reported. Hindu organisations alluded to the Hindus of Uttarakhand as being the victims of the rapid demographic changes and land, business and love jihad happening in the state, rather than the Muslim migrants whom the leftist media and the ‘liberal’ coterie are busy projecting as victims.
The OpIndia team also examined the so-called ‘threat’ posters that these leftist media outlets have extensively reported about. According to various media reports, posters asking Muslim shopkeepers to leave or “prepare for consequences” were found pasted on shops of Muslim traders. They were given a deadline of June 15 to flee or “face action”. The posters mentioned the name of an organisation- Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan which warned ‘Love Jehadis’ to vacate their shops by June 15. It also read that a ‘Mahapanchayat’ on the issue has been called by Hindu outfits on the same date.
When OpIndia spoke to the locals, we learned that contrary to the narrative that was being peddled, the local Hindus in Devbhoomi were the ones who were truly terrified. The Uttarakhand police also denied that Muslims in Uttarkashi town were under any sort of threat. Swami Darshan Bharti, the founder of the Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan Sangathan, spoke with OpIndia. He confirmed that he was in Purola on the day of the incident, but neither he nor anybody else he knows of had put up those posters. Swami Darshan Bharti termed the posters as a conspiracy by some individuals who want to project themselves as the victims.
It is also true that the Purola region has seen several cases of Love Jihad and onslaught by Islamist radicals. There were several cases, like that of a Hindu student being killed, a pregnant cow being murdered and her unborn calf being thrown away, a minor Hindu girl being held hostage for 5 days and more. Our full ground report on Purola can be read here.
Despite mounting evidence that the Islamists have been running a rampage in Purola, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind craftily turned the Muslim community into the victim. After the onslaught by Islamists, the Hindus of Purola merely decided to stand up for themselves in the face of victimisation. As evidenced, the posters were not put up by Hindus, however, they did decide to hold a maha panchayat to discuss their plight and the way forward. It is interesting that Islamists believe that their religiously motivated crimes don’t create communal disharmony, however, the moment Hindus decide to take a stand for themselves, they become the victims and claim that the Hindu community merely voicing their plight would ruin communal harmony and brotherhood.
