New Delhi, 07 Aug 2021: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has voiced concerns in its virtual press conference over growing crime against women, spying on citizens, third Covid wave and crackdown on Mohammed Ali Jauhar University in Rampur.

Addressing the online press meet today, Secretary of JIH Women’s Department Mrs.Rahmatunnisa said, “We condemn the alleged brutal rape and murder of a nine year old Dalit girl from Purani Nangal village near Delhi Cantonment. Our delegation visited the victim’s house and met her family members. We demand that the perpetrators should be punished at the earliest. Latest NCRB data points to the disturbing trend of rising crime against women. It is extremely worrying. The numbers imply that nearly four women are raped every hour while two women are molested every three minutes in India. After the Nirbhaya case, JIH had given its suggestions to the Justice Verma Committee for controlling the growing incidents of rape in the country. We support some of the committee’s recommendations. We hope the government wakes up to its duty to provide safety and security to its citizens, especially women and lives up to its slogan of “Beti Bachao.” Rejecting the announcement made by the Ministry of Minority Affairs that August 1, is now being observed as Muslim Women’s Rights Day to celebrate the second anniversary of the passage of the Triple Talaq law, the JIH Women’s department Secretary said: “We condemn this move as a mockery of women rights. The government does not appear to be sincere in its concern for Muslim women. Had its concern been genuine, it would have not wrongly incarcerated so many Muslim youth and paid mere lip service to the question of education of Muslim girls”.

Earlier, Vice President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Prof. Mohammad Salim Engineer briefed the media on the stand of JIH on various pressing issues before the nation. Regarding the issue of spying on citizens, he said: “We are dismayed to read media reports about a large number of Indian citizens coming under surveillance using Pegasus spyware sold by an Israeli company. If the reports are true then this is very damaging to our fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India. JIH demands an inquiry into these reports by a JPC or by the Supreme Court and wants that the government of India should come clean on the entire issue.”

On the likelihood of a third wave of Covid-19, the JIH Vice President said: “the government should provide free vaccines to all citizens to prevent the disease, overcome the problem of vaccine shortage and take steps to make the vaccine available to all citizens. Taking lessons from the large loss of life during the second wave, the health infrastructure must be spruced up, so also the budget for health services should be increased significantly. Religious places of worship which become centres of social service during the pandemic should be allowed to remain open and help people. In this regard, we wish to point out that the JIH is involved in a flagship ‘COVID-19 hand-holding project’, under the Sahulat Microfinance Society and other partners, for pandemic-hit distressed families to rebuild and restore their livelihoods.

Commenting on the reports of the local administration serving notice to demolish the main gate of the Muhammad Ali Jauhar University, Prof Salim Engineer said: “We feel that this case is not being dealt in a proper manner. If it is a land dispute then it should be resolved amicably with the concerned stakeholders by the government. The University was established by a State Cabinet decision and under UGC guidelines. To disturb such an important place of learning is not in the best interests of the students and the education environment of our country. The government must find a solution to this problem and ensure that the education of minorities and the marginalized is not disturbed.”