A sensational report by a top Uttar Pradesh police official branding Phulwarisharif-based Imarat Sharia as a "den of terrorists" kicked off a major controversy which forced UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav to hastily suspend additional director general of police (Railways) B K Bhalla. Reacting sharply to the "slanderous' report, Amir-e-Shariat Maulana Syed Nizamuddin said it was a huge conspiracy to defame a respected Islamic institution. The cleric, who is also general secretary of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), had demanded immediate action against the official. The report, printed in a booklet form, had been distributed at the police week function organised by the UP IPS Association recently. It alleged that the Imarat was a den of terrorists where over 200 anti-national elements having links with the ISI, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other groups and terrorist from Bangladesh were taking shelter.
The Amir-e-Shariat reacted, saying: "I am shocked and pained to see the newspaper reports quoting the UP police official's report. It is nothing but a bundle of lies and it exposes the faces of the forces hell bent on defaming Muslim institutions."
"Lies! All lies!"
The Maulana said Imarat Sharia, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand, was established by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in 1921 and since then all top politicians, Presidents and Prime Ministers have visited it. President A P J Abdul Kalam visited the institution two years ago, he said adding that even UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav visited the famed institution.
The controversial report not only accused renowned Islamic institutions but also criticised Indian foreign policy which has enraged the Centre too. The Centre, sources said, is believed to have taken strong exception and UP CM was asked to initiate immediate action against the official.
Apart from being ADG (Railways), Bhalla was also holding charge of ADG (Police Radio). He was supposed to speak on this matter at an academic session during the police week celebrations but had been dissuaded by his colleagues, who found the report quite inflammatory.
The report, in fact, was based on information reported by an inspector of GRP in the wake of bomb blast in a train at Jaunpur last year. Bhalla, without ascertaining facts, lifted that information and made it a detailed report and thought it fit to get it printed in a booklet form and got it distributed.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawrat and other organisation also condemned the Bhalla report and urged the Centre and the UP government not only to take strong action against the police official but also rid the police of "communal elements."