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Raza Academy in focus as protest rallies turn violent in Amravati, Nanded, Malegaon
I request people will not indulge in rioting and refrain from violent and illegal acts, said Saeed Noorie, general secretary of Raza Academy, in a video message released on Twitter
PUNE In the backdrop of rumours of vandalization of mosque in Tripura, members of Islamic organisation Raza Academy staged protest rallies at various cities in Maharashtra on Friday.
According to Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil, it was Raza Academy that had organised protest march at various places to submit a memorandum to authorities though it turned violent later.
“The protests were organised by Raza Academy. But our department is also looking if others were involved in this,” said Wales Patil during a press conference in Mumbai.
The march turned violent in Nanded, Malegaon and Amravati with mob pelting stones on shops in which two policemen were also injured in the incident. In Nanded, stones were pelted at police vans and two police personnel sustained injuries at Deglur Naka and Shivaji Nagar. Protestors were also seen torching shops and police vehicles in Malegaon and Amravati, following which the riot squad was called in to quell the protests.
In response to the violent march, BJP called Amravati bandh on Saturday which also turned violent with stones pelted at various shops as a large mob gathered at Rajkamal chowk and some old parts of the city.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut termed Raza Academy as BJP promoted outfit. “We know what Raza Academy is. For years, it has been working to help BJP,” said Raut in Aurangabad.
The BJP state unit chief Chandrakant Patil refuted allegations saying Shiv Sena should focus on maintaining law and order rather than making political comments.
Raza Academy denounced the violence at rallies. “Today the bandh call given in Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra to protest against blasphemous utterances against the holy Prophet was very successful. But some people from Malegaon are indulging in disturbing the peace of the area. I request that Muslims will not indulge in rioting in the name of the Prophet and refrain from violent and illegal acts. The Muslim community must go back home and ensure that peace is maintained. Malegaon has a good image and Muslims must protect their image by spreading peace and harmony,” said Saeed Noorie, general secretary of Raza Academy, in a video message released on Twitter.
A group of like-minded Sunni Muslims, under the leadership of founder president Saeed Noori, established Raza Academy in 1978 at Null Bazar in south Mumbai to print and publish books written by 17th-century Muslim scholar Aalahazrat Imam Ahmed Raza.
Academy’s reputation suffered a setback in 2012 after violence left two people dead and some policemen injured during a protest March in Mumbai.
In over five decades, the academy set up more than 30 centres across India and became a voice of the country’s Sunni community. While the academy has participated in multiple protest marches in the past, most of them were largely peaceful with black flags, badges, banners and ribbons have been characteristic of it.
