New Delhi: The President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Syed Sadatullah Husaini has come down heavily on the police’s high-handedness in Haldwani and accused the authorities of systematic harassing of the Muslim community to polarise the society for serving the vested political interests of their masters.

In a statement to the media, Syed Sadatullah Husaini said, “We condemn the police high handedness being perpetrated on the Muslims in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. In the ongoing legal dispute over alleged unauthorized occupants of the land adjoining Haldwani Railway Station, what was the sudden need to demolish a madrassa despite the case being pending in the High Court? The kind of brutal force, the police have used against the protesters resulting in the killings of many Muslims is highly condemnable and violative of all norms of professional policing and civilized society. It is alleged that machine guns have been used and hundreds of rounds were fired as if the Police were fighting an enemy army.

The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Chief pointed out, “Several recent actions taken by different governments appear to have the vile intention of provoking people and instigating violence, whether it is the demolition of mosques, the arrest of Muslim clerics, undue interference in Muslim Personal Law, bulldozer action, and demolition of properties, patronage bestowed on those convicted of heinous hate crimes against Muslims. The selective and targeted application of stringent provisions of the law is evident in all these cases as if the law is being exploited as a weapon to harass and terrorize Muslims. We feel this dangerous trend will spell doom for our democracy and the rule of law.”

Talking about improving the situation in Haldwani, the JIH President averred, “When the Supreme Court of India had ruled in the same case in January 2023 that – “There cannot be uprooting of 50,000 people overnight. It’s a human issue, some workable solution needs to be found”; this despicable action by the Nainital District Administration was completely unwarranted, biased, and in utter disregard to the Supreme Court guidelines. A fact-finding team led by JIH Leadership and civil society visited Haldwani and filed a report highlighting gross anomalies in following the due process for eviction. We demand that the demolition drive be rolled back immediately till an amicable settlement is reached between the Railway authorities and the people through negotiation and dialogue. Supreme Court of India should immediately take the suo moto action against such a selective approach of administrative machinery and political leadership. We also demand immediate suspension and action against the responsible officials. We also appeal people of India and civil society to raise their voices against this dangerous trend and unitedly fight all attempts to create a communal divide and target and harass any section of Indian society.”