Tauqeer Raza Khan: If Muslims hit the streets, it will be beyond state control

Indian National Congress (INC) leader Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, the Muslim cleric with a penchant for provoking the Indian state, has once again dared the nation-state. Issuing a threat over the controversies surrounding the inconsiderate use of loudspeakers for azan by Muslims, Tauqeer Raza Khan has said that the day his community takes to the streets, it will be beyond the capabilities of any administration to stop them.

Tauqeer Raza Khan described Narendra Modi as “Dhritarashtra”, saying if the prime minister’s “attitude” remains unchanged, no one can save the country from another Mahabharata.

Tauqeer Raza Khan said in the course of a press conference today that he would convene a meeting after 10 days (after Eid) where he would issue an appeal for a “Jail Bharo Andolan”. The cleric-cum-INC leader said, “The day Muslims hit the streets, they are not going to come under anyone’s control. I want to warn the government, especially the Narendra Modi government, if they do not mend their ways immediately and do not break their silence, you, who are supposed to be the prime minister for all Indians… you are being warned against this dishonest governance.”

Targeting Prime Minister Modi, Tauqeer Raza Khan said, “He should immediately come out of the role of Dhritarashtra and take such a strong decision that such the situation comes under control. If Modi remains Dhritarashtra, no one can save the country from Mahabharata.”

Also the president of Ittehad-e-Millat Council, Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan described the “bulldozer action” as a one-sided measure by the BJP-run civic administration. He said Muslims were being targeted on the pretext of taking action against encroachments. “If this unilateral action is not stopped, Muslims will have to agitate in the streets.”

Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan said this at the press conference convened at his residence in Dargah Ala Hazrat today there was a difference between being an accused and being a criminal. Until the crime is proved, no one is guilty but only an accused. “Bulldozers are running over the house and shops of the accused. What kind of action is this?”

Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan targeted even Akhilesh Yadav, saying that the Samajwadi Party president is silent on the atrocities on Muslims out of fear of the CBI and ED even as “he is well aware that all his MLAs in Uttar Pradesh have won by the votes of Muslims”.

The maulana appealed to Muslims to withdraw their support to the SP and said that the MLAs of the SP should resign and come out in the streets against the “atrocities” against Muslims.

The maulana also said that Muslims should be patient in such times. Do not fall under anyone’s mischief and get CCTV installed outside mosques and dargahs, so that mischief can come to the fore.

BJP reacts to Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan

The BJP has strongly objected to the statement of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan. A spokesperson of the party said that Raza was doing politics on the basis of religion. He said that the statement would be legally investigated and action taken on that basis.

Uttar Pradesh BJP’s Manish Shukla said, “Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, the country will not run by threats and slogans of jihad but by law and constitution. If you had seen the list of names of people whose encroachments have been removed in Jahangirpuri, you would not have spoken such toxic things. But your aim is not to do justice but to do politics. You may continue practising politics on the basis of religion and caste, but the state and the country have progressed beyond this.”

The spokesman said further, “There will also be a legal test of this statement of Tauqeer Raza Khan, and if any illegal thing comes out in it, we will ensure action on the basis of his statement as well.”