All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali reiterated today that mosques should not be utilized for protests. Farangi Mahali, who also serves as the chairperson of the Islamic Centre of India (ICI), reassured the Muslim community that there is no need to be alarmed about the recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Farangi Mahali said that the legal team of AIMPLB was examining the CAA notification and would soon present their findings to the public. He stressed that the government had consistently stated that this law would not strip anyone of their citizenship. He urged everyone to maintain peace and insisted that mosques be reserved for prayers, not protests.
In the meantime, the police have implemented stringent security measures in preparation for Friday prayers, the first since the CAA was enforced.
A week ago on 15 March, Farangi Mahali had said the same thing. He insisted that during the holy month of Ramzan, it was inappropriate to organise protests after offering prayers at mosques.
The AIMPLB member said that a protest should have a legal basis and that the opinion of their legal team had not yet been received. He advised whoever still wished to protest to obtain permission and hold the protest in a designated area. However, he was convinced no protests would be organised during Ramzan.
Regarding the recently notified CAA, Farangi Mahali asked fellow Muslims not to panic.
In anticipation of the Friday namaz, the first since the implementation of the CAA was announced by the union government, the police made comprehensive security arrangements. The Director General of Police (DGP), Prashant Kumar, told reporters that the police headquarters had strengthened vigilance and made adequate arrangements to ensure the safe conduct of Friday prayers. Additional police forces have been deployed near mosques to facilitate the convenience of the namazis.
The DGP said further that special attention was being given to monitoring anti-social elements and social media and that their officers were closely monitoring the situation.
