New Delhi, 08 May 2020: Prominent Muslim leaders have issued a joint statement for condemning the police action and demanding to withdraw the FIR registered against Chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission Dr Zafarul Islam Khan.

A joint statement to the media, released today said: “We condemn the action by the Delhi Police against Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan. The biased role of Delhi Police has once again been exposed by its action against the Chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission over something he tweeted a few days back. One may differ with the content of Dr. Khan’s tweet and he had issued a clarification regarding the same. However, according to reports, the Delhi Police officers reached his residence without any prior notice and were adamant to take him along with them. This kind of action during the lockdown, exactly before iftar time, against the head of a quasi-judicial institution, gives an idea about the level to which the police can stoop. After failing to arrest those responsible for the huge loss of life and property during the riots of North-Delhi, the Delhi Police is targeting Muslims in different ways. Ignoring the nefarious activities, poisonous speeches, statements and organized attacks, well known to the whole world and punishing those who raise their voice for the oppressed or to target those who oppose the government policies at the hands of the police, is extremely dangerous for the entire country. We demand that the government should immediately take back the FIR against Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan and stop the Delhi Police from taking action against innocent citizens.”

Joint statement issued by:

• Maulana Arshad Madani, President – Jamiat Ulema e Hind
• Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, President , Milli Ittehad Council, Bareilly
• Maulana Mehmood Madani, Secretary General, Jamiat Ulema e Hind
• Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, Ameer Jamaat e Islami Hind
• Maulana Wali Rahmani, Ameer e Shariat, Bihar, Orrisa & Jharkhand
• Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Salfi , Ameer Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees
• Navaid Hamid, President – Muslim Majlis e Mushawaat
• Dr Manzoor Alam , General Secretary, All India Milli Council
• Maulana Mohammed Salman Hussaini Nadvi – Lucknow
• Maulana Mufti Muhammad Mukarram, Shahi Imam, Masjid Fatehpuri, Delhi
• Maulana Mohsin Taqwi, Imam e Juma, Shia Jama Masjid, Delhi
• Dr Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, President Welfare Party of India
• Muhammad Sulaiman – President Indian National League
• Akhtar Hussain, General Secretary, All India Momin Conference
• Mujtaba Farooq, General Secretary, All India Muslim Majlis e Mushawarat
• Maulana Muhammad Tanvir Hashmi, President Ahle Sunnat Waljamat Karnataka
• Labeed Shafi, President, Student Islamic Organization of India
• Prof Aktherul Wasey, President Jodhpur University, Rajasthan
• Prof Hasina Hashia, Milli Council
• Dr Tasleem Rahmani, President, Muslim Poliitcal Council of India