Treating accused as convicts is unlawful: AIMPLB

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has said that treating accused as convicts was not only unlawful but also a way of creating terror and panic.

In a statement, the Board cited visuals on social media to highlight alleged police excesses on individuals detained on allegations of stone-pelting and violence.

The board also appealed to the members of the Muslim community to "exercise restraint and limit their protests to handing over of memorandums to local authorities seeking action against those who have insulted the Prophet to express their disapproval and resentment if any, against such acts."

The board also demanded that the police first investigate cases of violence, submit their findings before the court and seek directions to initiate action against the accused.

Board's general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rehmani, in the statement, said instead of initiating action against the individual (read Nupur Sharma) who insulted the Prophet, the government is lodging FIRs and demolishing houses of those who have expressed their protest against such statements. This is unlawful and excessive.

"The BJP took action against the person who insulted the Prophet, but the government has not done anything at all to show that it disapproves of such acts. The government has not initiated any appropriate penal action as per the provisions of law against the person, which is surprising," Rehmani said.

Instead, police action against those protesting against derogatory comments for their Prophet, is like rubbing salts in the wounds of the community, he said.

"Not initiating action against those making such inflammatory comments against the Prophet is against the law of the land and murder of justice. Should a person raising "Islam Zindabad' slogans be shot dead? Does our law of the land permit this?" he asked.