Taking notice of illegal arrests of Muslim youth, Ajit Sahi, a renowned investigative journalist and political analyst criticised the security agencies and mainstream media and urged people to stand against this state terrorism. He was addressing a public speech at Asad Market Chowk in the national capital on 2 April. The public speech was organised by Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) on ‘Terrorism-Free India – Road Ahead’.
Commenting on false allegations often levelled against Muslim youth, the learned speaker said the Indian police arrests Muslim youth in false cases and the media creates stories on the basis of these false cases and allegations and prepares atmosphere. Because of these false allegations, the long court trial destroys their life.
Questioning the secret intelligence report, he said that in general the police arrests innocent Muslim youth on the basis of secret intelligence reports. But it is mysterious as to wherefrom these secret intelligence reports come. Who is responsible for it? Even judges don’t ask about the base of this secret intelligence report. Mentioning the secret intelligence of the UK and the USA, he said that secret intelligence is responsible before Senate in these countries but in India it isn’t.
He also added that when an accused is acquitted by Supreme Court, no one asks the lower court why it had delivered wrong verdict. No one asks the police why they implicated an innocent person. Why don’t they nab real culprits and perpetrators? Despite acquitted by the Supreme Court, the police keeps harassing them. He said that it is happening all over India. Speaking on the reason of illegal arrest of Muslim youth, he said that this is because of Islamophobia and to create fear psyche in the community.
Talking on solution of this issue, Mr. Sahi said that we can’t get justice because when one is acquitted in a case of ‘false terrorism’, he is already charged in other cases by our security agency. “Even we can’t expect justice from political parties. We will have to fight for justice ourselves. We will have to come to the street against this injustice. We will have to be organised politically. We will have to form a committee for this. We must hold rally and demonstration,” he averred.
In the programme, Abu Bakar Sabbaq, an advocate and activist, also expressed his experience and views regarding illegal arrests of Muslim youth. Taking various instances of acquitting innocent Muslim youth from false allegations, he alleged that these are being staged by the security agency to defame the Muslim community and create fear.
On this occasion, Alif Shakoor, General Secretary, SIO, and National Secretaries Tauseef Ahmed, Laeeq Ahmed Khan and Abdul Wadud, were also present.