Jamaat-e-Islami Hind expressed grave concern over attempts being made to divide the electorate along communal lines by polarising the minds of the people and over growing culture of fascism in university campuses.
Secretary General of JIH, Mohammad Salim Engineer, while addressing the monthly press briefing at JIH headquarters in the capital on 4 March, said efforts to polarise the people during the election campaigns and creating communal atmosphere particularly at the fag end of the assembly elections is neither good for the country nor for the politics of the country. There is clear-cut guidance for political parties not to seek votes in the name of religion but the Election Commission has become a mute spectator of repeated violation of the SC guidelines by the political party.
The Jamaat Secretary General has asked the Election Commission to protect our democracy by taking stern action against all those spreading hatred and enmity among the people. Further he said the growing fascism in the campus is a very dangerous trend and students groups having patronage of the present regime are trying to impose their agenda and ideology on others; this is a very dangerous sign as it would harm our educational institutions very badly.
Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, Ameer (President) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, while replying to a question during the press meet, said that Muslims have not been asked to support any political parties on the communal ground but to vote or support on the agenda of the parties in fray. However, the issues and atmosphere the BJP is trying to create is aimed at creating communal passion in the electorates.
On the question of resignation of a Muslim woman on the issue of Hijab in the White House, Umari said, it was a very courageous action and other women and even men should become bold and courageous enough to register their protests if anything goes against Islam and humanity.
Jamaat also expressed happiness over inclusion of Urdu in NEET and lauded the role of SIO and other members of Jamaat in this regard. It also expressed concern over growing trend of racial discrimination in the US and said that the recent blanket ban order on immigrants is contrary to the idea of America. Jamaat asked the US administration to review and roll back its immigration ban order.
On the question of Habeas Corpus in Najeeb case, Wasiq Nadeem, a social activist, informed that Habeas Corpus has already been filed in the High Court and Colin Gonsalves is taking up the case. The next hearing is on 16 March.