Mirwaiz condemns police killing of Muslim youths in UP
APHC leader says lives of minorities have become cheap in Modi’s India
Srinagar: Senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has strongly condemned the killing of four Muslim youths by police during a court-ordered survey of a mosque in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh state.
According to Kashmir Media Service, three men—Naeem, Bilal and Noman—were killed on Sunday when Indian police opened fire on Muslim protesters opposing the court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal district. The death toll later rose to four after a 19-year-old man succumbed to his injuries. The killings have ignited widespread outrage and provoked strong reactions from political opposition figures across India.
In a statement in Srinagar, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called the incident a deeply distressing and discriminatory act of police brutality, highlighting a disturbing pattern of violence and repression against minorities in India. He criticized the Modi government for its failure to ensure equal protection for all citizens, emphasizing that the lives of minorities have become cheap and are often exploited as political pawns for electoral gain.
The Mirwaiz also denounced the ongoing trend of questioning the status of centuries-old mosques, terming it a divisive tactic aimed at polarising communities. “To rake up issues of centuries-old mosques and question their status has become a pattern to provoke and generate a desired reaction to the advantage of the ruling class,” he said.
Mirwaiz called for a transparent investigation into the killings and demanded that those responsible be held accountable. “This divisive mindset is dangerous for the people of India and must be stopped,” he added.
The Muslim youths’ killings have drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP government was orchestrating a riot, while Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the violence was aimed at creating communal rifts.
