The state chief of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Hafiz Noor Ahmed Raza Azhari, has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police. He was arrested over his ‘inflammatory’ remarks against the Yogi government’s crackdown on madrassas.
His arrest came on Sunday after he made inflammatory comments against the Yogi government’s crackdown on madrassas. The arrest, made in Pilibhit by the Uttar Pradesh Police, sparked rage and controversy across the state.
On social media, Azhari accused the government of targeting a single community by attacking and demolishing religious institutions to propagate fear among Muslims. He openly claimed that the main agenda of the government is to prevent people from receiving religious education by stopping them from visiting madrassas and attending mosques.
On the other hand, his supporters argue that his statements merely reflect legitimate concerns regarding religious freedom and the rights of minority communities. They speak against the alleged infringement of fundamental rights and the right to speak.
FIR against Azhari after the murder of Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf
In April 2023, Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against Hafiz Noor Ahmed Raza Azhari for making remarks blaming Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the twin murders of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj.
Expressing displeasure over the killing of Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf, he said that Atiq, who was a criminal, had also been an MP and MLA, and it is the right of the court to punish the criminal. Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf were arrested for the murder of Umesh Pal. Noor said that the government got Atiq and Ashraf killed with the help of shooters. Noor said that the Chief Minister had threatened to eliminate the gangster-turned-politician.
On the night of April 15, Atiq and Ashraf were shot on live television by three men while they were being taken by the police for a medical check-up in Prayagraj. The video of their killing went viral on social media, prompting instructions to keep an eye on those who post “provocative posts on social media” by the Cybercrime Police Station, Lucknow. Azhari was booked under the IT laws.
