Tripura Police send UAPA notices to lawyers who joined team to probe anti-Muslim violence

 What a difference in Modi's India to Hasina's Bangladesh? 

In Bangladesh, when the mandir-attack by Muslim mob was criminalized and everyone condemning such acts, in India anti-Muslim violence is something that is promoted by Hindutvadi government and its fascist mob. Those probing the violence in India are now facing prison terms. What a joke Indian secularism and democracy have become! Shame o India!!! - HS

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The Tripura Police on Wednesday sent notices under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to two lawyers who were part of a fact-finding team that visited the northeastern state to investigate the communal violence that broke out in October, The Leaflet reported.

Mukesh, a Delhi-based advocate for the People’s Union For Civil Liberties, and lawyer Ansar Indori of the National Confederation of Human Rights, in a report released on Tuesday said that at least 12 mosques, nine shops, three houses of Muslims were targeted during the violence.

The police have invoked charges against the lawyers under Indian Penal Code Sections 153-A and B (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming information), 503 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke the breach of peace) and 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy).

After attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh last month, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had organised a protest rally in Tripura on October 26, which led to violence and attacks on mosques as well as shops and homes of Muslims. However, the police have repeatedly claimed that the law and order situation in the state was “absolutely normal”. They also asserted that no mosques had been burnt.

The report, co-authored by Supreme Court lawyers Ehtesham Hashmi and Amit Srivastav, said the violence erupted because of the “irresponsibility of the administration, along with extremist organisations and the vested interests of ambitious politicians”.

The report highlighted that four days before the violence erupted, the state unit of the Jamiat Ulama (Hind) had warned Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb that such incidents could take place. “Despite this, the government not taking any action is tantamount to sponsoring this violence,” the report said.

The notice sent to Mukesh and Indori asked them to immediately delete “fabricated and false statements/comments” shared by them on social media.