Hundreds of Muslims demand probe into Batla shootout

Hundreds of Muslims from Azamgarh district of UP demanded an end to the police harassment of youths from the community and a judicial enquiry into the Batla House shootout last year, in which two alleged terrorists were killed.

Demanding a judicial probe into the Batla House encounter and to stop alleged "harassment" of Muslim youths by the police, thousands of people from Azamgarh staged a demonstration in the national capital on Thursday.

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Nearly 3,000 people reached in New Delhi in a 'Ulema special' train from Azamgarh and demonstrated at Jantar Mantar, demanding judicial probe by a sitting Supreme Court Justice into the Batla House encounter in which two alleged terrorists from Azamgarh were killed. Teachers and students of universities in the national capital joined them.

"The protest is against harassment of innocent Muslim youth particularly in Azamgarh and other areas of UP. They live in fear and could not lead their normal life," Convenor of Ulema Council Amir Rashidi Madani told the gathering on Thursday.

Blaming the political parties for not supporting them on the issue, Madani said that Ulema Council will field two of its candidates from Azamgarh Sadar and Lalganj Lok Sabha seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

"We are also trying for a third alternative. Few parties have come to our support. But we want that any alternative should be headed by Ulema Council," said Madani, whose son Aamir Talha was picked up by Maharashtra ATS and released later with terror charges.

"We are asking for judicial enquiries into all high-profile terror cases including the Batla house encounter," said SQR Ilyas, member of the Coordination Committee of Indian Muslims.

They also demanded scrapping of the recently passed anti-terror law -- the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The event was organised by the Coordination Committee of Indian Muslims, an umbrella organisation of five bodies and the Ulema Council of Azamgarh.