Jamaat-e-Islami Hind condemns Maulana Tauqeer Raza's arrest, claims 'misuse' of state machinery
New Delhi (PTI): Amid a row over the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign, prominent Muslim organisation Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on Sunday condemned the arrest of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan and others in Bareilly, and alleged "misuse" of state machinery for political ends.
The organisation also claimed that law and order challenges were being turned into opportunities for "communal polarisation".
The president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, strongly condemned the "unjust arrest" of Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan and others in Bareilly.
"The arrest of respected scholar Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, along with several others, in Bareilly is a matter of grave concern and a troubling reflection of the direction in which communal politics and hatred-driven governance are steering our country," Hussaini said.
"What began with the simple slogan 'I Love Prophet Muhammad' -- an expression of devotion and reverence -- was cynically equated with threats to public order. To criminalise such peaceful affirmation of faith through sweeping FIRs and mass arrests is not merely unjustified; it is an outrageous assault on India's civilisational ethos of respect and pluralism," the Jamaat president said.
For centuries, the people of India have lived together with mutual respect for each other's religious sentiments, he said.
"It is inconceivable that such an expression of devotion could polarise society; rather, it is political mischief that has manufactured this crisis," he said.
Hussaini claimed reports suggest that Raza was initially placed under house arrest, and subsequently, sweeping FIRs were registered under the harshest provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), naming hundreds of Muslims without proper investigation.
"Even more disturbing is the derogatory language used by some political leaders against a respected scholar of Maulana's standing -- revealing the ugly politics behind this entire episode.
"Such disproportionate use of state power not only undermines the rule of law but also deepens alienation and mistrust," Hussaini said.
Similar agitations in the past have been managed with measured responses, without draconian charges or sweeping criminalisation of entire communities, he said.
Applying selective and excessive measures against one group violates both the spirit of the Constitution and the principles of fair governance, Hussaini said.
"What we are witnessing today is the misuse of state machinery and law enforcement for political ends, turning law-and-order challenges into opportunities for communal polarisation.
"Each time elections approach, the same cycle is repeated: communities are divided, mistrust is manufactured, and the social fabric of the nation is sacrificed for narrow gains," he alleged.
This is a dangerous path that erodes democratic institutions and constitutional values, the JIH president said.
He appealed to the Muslim community to remain steadfast, peaceful, and guided by the Prophet's message of patience, mercy, and compassion.
He also called upon the government to immediately withdraw the exaggerated charges, release those "wrongfully" detained, and restore parity, proportionality, and justice in governance.
"India's strength lies in its Constitution, its pluralism, and its social fabric of mutual respect. Undermining these foundations for short-term political advantage harms not only one community, but the entire nation." Hussaini said.
Tensions erupted in several districts of Uttar Pradesh recently, including Barabanki, Mau and Muzaffarnagar, after violent protests in Bareilly over the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign after Friday prayers, with police carrying out overnight house-to-house raids to nab the "culprits", arresting Raza in the process.
Officials on Saturday said that security forces had been deployed in strength and social media was being closely monitored to keep the situation under control.
Following the clashes in Bareilly, tension prevailed in Faizullaganj village in Barabanki district, located adjacent to state capital Lucknow, after a banner with the words 'I Love Muhammad' was torn down.
One side alleged that a local watchman named Dhanni broke the rope with a stick and brought down the banner. Following the incident, members of one community gathered at the scene and expressed their displeasure.
Members of the other community also began gathering, creating a tense atmosphere in the village.
The entire incident was recorded on a CCTV camera installed at a nearby mosque. The footage reportedly shows Dhanni using a stick to topple the banner. Police have seized the video and launched an investigation.
Dhanni's house was reportedly vandalised by some youths. Upon receiving the information, police swung into action.
The additional superintendent of police and the circle officer arrived at the scene, and cops from several police stations were called to the village.
Dhanni's wife alleged that some people broke into the house, vandalised it and stole their belongings.
Ajay Singh, the SP's public relations officer, said a dispute had arisen over the removal of a banner, but peace has now been restored at the scene.
Police in Barabanki arrested eight people for taking out a procession after the incident in Faizullaganj.
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Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
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