SAAD ASHFAQ ANSARI -- THE LATEST VICTIM OF THE PROPHET REMARK ROW. WHAT'S GOING ON? HOW FAR MUST THIS DISGUSTING DRAMA CONTINUE IN ALL ITS BLATANT HUMAN RIGHTS' VIOLATION?

SAAD ASHFAQ ANSARI -- THE LATEST VICTIM OF THE PROPHET REMARK ROW. WHAT'S GOING ON? HOW FAR MUST THIS DISGUSTING DRAMA CONTINUE IN ALL ITS BLATANT HUMAN RIGHTS' VIOLATION?

Here is young Saad Ashfaq Ansari, a 19 year old engineering student, a Muslim boy from Bhiwandi, Maharashtra who was dragged out of his residence, assaulted and forced to recite the 'Kalma' by an angry mob baying for his blood. The Maharashtra police promptly arrested him and slapped a criminal charge on him under IPC Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony). The police resorted thus ostensibly to placate the angry mob incensed over Saad's social media post where he apparently denounced the death-threats on Nupur Sharma that are being issued from various quarters by offended Muslims over the Prophet remark row. Saad had in his post defended the Right to Free Speech. He had not denounced Nupur Sharma but dared to denounce those who were issuing death-threats to her. This was his offence in the eyes of the angry mob which stormed his house. Saad was slapped, as the video footage shows, and then the police slapped on him criminal charges for his humanistic stance deemed by them as tending to incite communal passions which the innocuous content of his post apparently did not do in any way.

Why has the nation not raised its voice against this blatant abuse of a citizen's rights, that too of a bright young lad of nineteen who, following the dictates of his conscience, rightly raised his voice against the perceived lopsidedness of the whole drama centring the Prophet remark row? If you all are men enough, raise your voices to give sanity a chance.

What millions of moderate Muslims could not do, a lad of nineteen did. And what is the price he is paying for it? Abuse, assault, arrest, awaiting trial and, worst of all, the apathy of his cowardly countrymen who can only cower before roadside rowdyism and care not to rescue a boy from blatant violation of his safety and security, his innocence and idealism, now rotting in police custody amid apprehensions of an uncertain future and the relentless wrath of his community members.

Written by Sugata Bose 

Information gleaned from the attached YouTube video posted by India Today, dated, 14 June, 2022. Video link has been posted below.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ezl-_eXOCW8&feature=share

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