Lucknow, July 15 Muslims, Dalits and tribals will now start applying for arms licenses for self-defence, following increase in incidents of mob lynching.

The pan-India movement will commence from Lucknow on July 26.

Shia cleric and General Secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad will be organising the first camp in Lucknow on the suggestion of Supreme Court lawyer Mehmood Pracha.

According to the cleric, these camps would be organised in at least 12 cities, including six in Uttar Pradesh, where these communities are under threat and need legal help.

“SC/ST and minorities have been pushed to the edge by the government, which is soft on perpetrators of mob violence,” Maulana Kalbe Jawwad said.

“In such a scenario, there is no option left, but self-defence. Many from these communities face discrimination and they will avail of our legal expertise to fill up forms and apply for arms license.”

The camp will ensure that applicants with criminal antecedents or those with political or business interests are kept out.

“This campaign is not for the Shia community, in particular, but for all minorities who feel threatened. Once the applicants get their licenses, we will deploy experts for arms training. And we will also act against those who misuse their license,” he said.

“Legal experts will be coming to Lucknow for holding the camp. Clerics from others sects will also be included in the movement. The brunt of mob lynching is borne by Sunnis and Dalits too,” Jawwad added.

“If the government had taken strong steps against perpetrators of hate crime, we would not have had to take up such a measure. There are tough laws in the Constitution and Indian Penal Code (IPC) which the government should invoke. The draft bill on lynching is a mere eyewash. If the government wakes up, we will withdraw the movement,” the cleric said.

–IANS

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday evening suspended eight officials and sent show cause notice to three including the District Magistrate, for allegedly showing negligence in maintaining cattle. This comes a week after 35 cattle were found dead at a Prayagraj shelter. The Chief Minister also directed Prayagraj Commissioner to investigate all the aspects of the death of the destitute cow.  

Earlier, Prayagraj District Magistrate Bhanu Chandra Goswami cited continuous rains and lightening as the main cause of the deaths. 

However, locals claimed that the number of cow deaths was more than 35 said there has been no lightening in the last 2-3 days. Blaming the administration, locals said that there is no proper food and water supply for animals kept in the shelter.
Yogi Adityanath, earlier, had also warned cattle should not be seen roaming the streets unsupervised, nor in the fields. Reviewing the development programs in Moradabad division, Adityanath had said benefits of central and state schemes should be passed on to the public and any kind of corruption will attract strong action.

He said the officials should spend one to two hours every day to solve the problems of the common people.

Emphasising the need to expedite the allotment of houses process for the poor under the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme (urban and rural), the chief minister said the officers will have to work within the stipulated time frame to improve the statistics of the scheme.“Keep in mind that eligible people should not be deprived of the scheme.”

Adityanath said if any official is involved in the illegal transaction of money in the housing scheme, then immediately FIR should be lodged against him. 

For those who are living in slums, a multi-storey building should be constructed under the affordable housing scheme, he suggested.

Referring to the facilities provided to the poor under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, he said all those people who have been identified under it should be provided the Golden Card as soon as possible.

The chief minister also instructed the district administration to appoint nodal officers in the hospitals so that patients are not inconvenienced.

He directed the officials to release pension to the aged, ‘divyang’ and widows without creating hurdles and related complains must be immediately disposed off.

Agencies