Over a dozen MIM workers arrested by Cantonment Police for protesting against Azam Campus
BeyondHeadlines News Desk
Pune: The decision by prominent muslim educationist P A Inamdar to permit Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) to host Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Indresh Kumar has snowballed into a major controversy with Pune cadre of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) resorting to a strong protest against the Azam Campus Management and raised slogans against Inamdar on Friday afternoon in Pune today.
A heavy police bandobast was deployed to ward off tension as the law enforcement agencies feared that the protest could spiral out of control. The Cantonment Police under directions from Police Inspector Mujawar arrested over thirty MIM party workers, bundled them into a waiting police van and ferried to Cantonment Police Station where a case was registered against them.
MIM activists alleged that the police acted in a partisan manner and did not allow them to protest. The police wanted to neutralise the protest when it has been its duty to observe the protest as a large bandobast was in place. The activists further alleged that they behaved well with the police and co-operated at all levels but still the police was biased in their approach.
Around 2.30 pm, activists carrying MIM flags gathered outside Gate No 1 of Azam Campus. Armed with placards entitled ‘ Millat Ka Dushman ’ and “ Get RSS out of Azam Campus ,” MIM workers led by its senior party bearers Liyakat Shaikh, Saleem Shaikh and Azar Tamboli staged vociferous protests outside campus demanding that Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) Maharashtra and Goa convenor Latif Magdum should be sacked. Magdum had hosted RSS ideologue Indresh Kumar at a programme entitled Muslim Ladies program cum Fatimabi Shaikh Awards ceremony at Azam Campus Assembly hall on Aug (30).
The programme was well attended by a number of senior RSS ideologues including Virag Pachpor and other office bearers from Nagpur and Mumbai. A raksha bandhan programme was also held where the muslim women tied Rakhi on the hand of Indresh Kumar. Amongst the other dignitaries present including MCES society members Abeda Inamdar and Mumtaz Peerbhoy.
MIM office bearer and RTI activist Azhar Tamboli said “We will be giving an ultimatum to Mr P A Inamdar asking him to sack Latif Magdum from the management of MCES society. If our demands are not met, then we will agitate and seek removal of P A Inamdar from MCES society. The protest are as per the laws and we take proper permission and intimate police before hand ,”he added.
Azam Campus
Azam Campus trustee and governing board member S A Inamdar informed the media persons that the management had nothing do with the MRM programme. “We had given our hall on rent to MRM to conduct the programme. The hall is given to everybody whoever pays the rent and wants to conduct the programme ,” he added.
Besides the police, sleuths from the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Special Cell, State Intelligence Department (SID), Special Branch (SB), Local Intelligence Branch (LIB) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID), traffic branch were present in large number to keep a watch on the protestors.
