The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has issued notice to Zafarul Islam, the Chairman of the Delhi Minority Commission, asking him to furnish his phone/laptop by May 12 over his controversial Facebook post. Islam is currently facing sedition charges for his provocative comments threatening Hindus saying that they will face an ‘avalanche’ if Indian Muslims complaint to their friends in Arab world.
The Delhi had reportedly booked Zafarul Islam for sedition (IPC Section 124A) and promoting religious animosity (IPC Section 153A) on April 30. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Zafarul, following a complaint by a Delhi resident.
Several Muslim leaders have come to his rescue by accusing the Delhi police of assuming a “biased role.” A statement by them read, “This kind of action during the lockdown, exactly before iftar time, against the head of a quasi-judicial institution, gives an idea about the level to which the police can stoop.”
Contentious comments by Zafarul Islam
In his Facebook post, Zafarul Islam has thanked Kuwait for “standing with the Indian Muslims” and attacked Hindus by referring to them as “Hindutva bigots”, who according to him miscalculated the reaction of the Arab world about the “persecution of Muslims in India”. “Mind you, bigots, Indian Muslims have opted until now not to complain to the Arab and Muslim world about your hate campaigns and lynchings and riots. The day they are pushed to do that, bigots will face avalanche,” he added.
Refuses to apologise
Zafarul Islam had clarified earlier that he stood by his incendiary comments, contrary to the erroneous reports on social media about his apology. The Chairman of the Delhi Minority Commission said that he had apologised for the tweet only because the timing of the tweet was incorrect, given that there is a pandemic underway but he does not see anything wrong with the comments themselves.