CASR STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE RECENT JUDGEMENT BY THE NIA-ATS SPECIAL COURT WHICH GIVES LIFE SENTENCE TO RENOWNED ISLAMIC SCHOLAR MAULANA KALEEM SIDDIQUI
Repeal Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act immediately!!
Campaign Against State Repression strongly condemns the recent judgement by the NIA-ATS court in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow on Wednesday which sentenced renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, along with Umar Gautam and ten others, to life imprisonment in a 2021 case related to religious conversion. The convicted are Maulana Umar Gautam, Arshan Mustafa, Adam, Abdul Mannan and Mohd Atif, Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qasmi, Kaushar Alam, Faraz Babullah Shah, Irfan Sheikh, Salahuddin Zainuddin Sheikh, Dheeraj Govind, Rahul Bola, Mohd Kaleem Siddiqui, Mohd Salim, Sarfaraz Ali Jafari and Abdullah Umar. An additional 16 people have been punished 10 years imprisonment and also punished with three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000/- under Section 8 of the Uttar Pradesh Unlawful Religious Conversion (Prohibition) Act 2021. A local court has acquitted two men accused under the Anti-religious Conversion Act for solely keeping a Bible at home and ordered legal action against the complainant and the police officers responsible for filing what it deemed a baseless chargesheet and misuse of legal processes. Despite both cases being of a similar nature, we see the application of different legal principles according to the whims and fancies of the state.
This has to be seen in light of the fact that the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on July 30 passed the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024 which significantly altered the original 2021 anti-conversion law by making its provisions more stringent and susceptible to misuse. Under the amended Bill, the minimum imprisonment for such offences has been raised to 5 years, and the maximum to 10 years. Additionally, the fine has been increased to Rs 50,000. For unlawful conversions involving a minor, a woman, or a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities, the penalty has been increased from a prison term of 2-10 years to 5-14 years. The minimum fine has also been raised from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh.The Bill has also strengthened the penalties for mass conversions. Previously, those convicted faced a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 10 years in prison. Now, the minimum sentence has been raised to 7 years, and the maximum to 14 years, with the fine also doubled to Rs 1 lakh.
Through this NIA-ATS case, the state is sending the message that preaching Islam is equivalent to conspiring against the state. Under Brahmanical Hindutva Fascism, democracy is limited to those who preach Hindutva. This case demonstrates how the rights of oppressed sections of society like the Muslims is repressed, showcasing the attack on the rights of minorities in India. This act of the court is illegal and arbitrary, going against the fundamental rights to freedom of speech and expression, and the right to practice and propagate any religion. This is part of the larger conspiracy of the state to wipe out all dissent, ensuring that it remains unchallenged and is able to propagate its own ideology which keeps repressed the exploited and oppressed people in society.
CASR demand immediately Relase all convicted in this case. We also strongly oppose the Recent Amended the Religion Conversion act by Uttar Pradesh government to making more stringent we demand immediately repeal this act.We urges all progressive and democratic rights organization come together and oppose this Conviction in false cases.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION
Organizing Team
(AIRSO,AISA, AISF, APCR, ASA, BAPSA BBAU,BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, COLLECTIVE, CRPP, CSM CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, NAZARIYA , Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Samajwadi Lok Manch, Bahujan Samajvadi Manch, SFI, United Peace Alliance, WSS,Y4S)
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