Aligarh, 23 May

(HS): The district president of AIMIM in Aligarh has been charged under BNS

laws following a report that he made derogatory statements against Kanwariyas

while asking permission for Eid prayers on a road next to the city's prominent Eidgah,

police said on Saturday. On the complaint of one Gaurav Varshney, a case was

registered against Yameen Khan Abbasi, district president of the All India

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), under sections 192 (giving provocation

with intent to cause riots) and 353(3) (statements promoting enmity, hatred, or

ill-will in places of worship or religious gatherings) of the Bharatiya Nyaya

Sanhita (BNS) at Civil Lines police station.

According to the complaint, Abbasi reportedly

harmed Hindu sensibilities by saying that Muslims were not permitted to do

collective prayers outside the Eidgah, despite special preparations being made

for Kanwariyas during Kanwar Yatra processions. The complainant further claimed

that Abbasi used abusive language toward Kanwariyas, accusing them of hooliganism

and inebriated behavior. Police say the case is being investigated.

Earlier on Thursday, Abbasi and other AIMIM

office-bearers submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate requesting

permission to give Eid-ul-Azha prayers on the road near the main Eidgah, citing

the likelihood of crowd overflow during congregational services.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi