“We do not want laws like TADA, POTA, NCTC, etc. These laws only target certain sections of the society. Besides Muslims, other marginalised and poor communities are also targeted and implicated falsely by invoking such laws. These draconian laws are beneficial neither for the country nor are they good for the citizens of the country itself.” These thoughts were expressed by Mr. Muhammad Jafar, Deputy Ameer, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, in a press conference held on Apr 7.
He saw the step of establishing NCTC as a move to curb civil liberty in the country and urged the justice-loving people to unite against the move. He said the establishment of NCTC would not only disturb the power equation between the centre and the state governments, but also will be used against the oppressed for further persecution.
He further welcomed and appreciated the move of the BRICS nations to strengthen mutual relations and cooperation among them and said the unipolar world must have a balance of power. He further added that BRICS nations should not only stress mutual cooperation, but also come up to solve the problems of the developing countries and promote a just economic and political system.
Next he expressed serious concerns regarding the killings and grave violations of human rights in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Palestine. He condemned the brutal killings and raids on Palestinians by Israeli forces. “The blood of innocent Palestinians in the recent years has become cheap and they are forced to live in a state of exile in their very own country,” he lamented. “The whole Islamic world is aggrieved over the atrocious killings of civilians in Syria. We demand the Syrian government to immediately put an end to its brutal oppression and revoke draconian laws,” said Mr. Jafar.
Lastly, mentioning the plan of the government to scrap subsidy, he added that if a government wants to remove subsidies they should go ahead but it should be on the condition that the Hajj Committees would then be given freedom to hire the airline of their choice. Mentioning some instances of the past, he added that the fare of Air India is much higher than private airlines and the facilities are also inferior. As large numbers of pilgrims go for Hajj from India, they are a big business for other airlines, hence if planned properly the air fares can be brought down to a minimum, without any subsidy, he added.