Uttar Pradesh Police Arrest Muslim Cleric Sajid Rashidi For Questioning Kanwariya Violence

The decision by Uttar Pradesh police to register a criminal First Information Report against Sajid Rashidi exposes a systemic practice of silencing legitimate commentary while actively shielding violent mobs from accountability. Sajid Rashidi serves as the president of the All India Imam Association. He was targeted by law enforcement authorities simply for speaking out against open public assault, road intimidation, and severe property destruction committed by groups during the annual Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage. The police acted with speed on a formal complaint lodged by Narendra Panwar, who leads a Hindutva organization known as the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti. Instead of pursuing and arresting the criminals who smashed a school vehicle full of terrified children and physically assaulted uniform police officers, the state machinery chose to penalize a prominent citizen who dared to speak the truth. This action proves that the government uses criminal laws to crush free expression rather than enforce public safety.

School Van Attack And Mob Violence In Meerut Highlight Growing Lawlessness

The specific incidents that triggered the commentary by Sajid Rashidi represent undeniable examples of unprovoked violence on public thoroughfares. On August 3, a group of pilgrimage participants traveling on motorcycles attacked a school vehicle in Lucknow following a minor traffic accident. The driver had applied the brakes to prevent a collision, but the angry group retaliated by smashing the rear windshield and breaking side mirrors while young children were inside. Only days prior to this incident, another group engaged in a physical assault on uniformed police personnel in the city of Meerut without displaying any fear of legal consequences. These aggressive actions are not acts of genuine religious devotion. They are plain criminal acts that endanger ordinary citizens, disrupt traffic, and create widespread fear on national highways every single year.

State Protects Rioters While Charging Critics Under Harsh Penalties

When Sajid Rashidi addressed the media, he raised basic and necessary questions regarding public accountability. He publicly asked whether individuals who sit on public roads consuming alcohol and intoxicants, smash school vehicles, and assault on-duty police personnel can truly be considered devotees of Lord Shiva. He explicitly clarified during his interview that his remarks were directed solely at violent offenders and not at the vast majority of peaceful pilgrims. Despite this clear distinction, the Uttar Pradesh police booked him under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that deal with deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings. The message delivered by the local administration is both dangerous and unambiguous. Violent offenders enjoy complete political immunity under the guise of religious events, while any citizen who highlights their criminal acts faces immediate legal harassment and police action.

Data Reveals Zero Tolerance For Speech And Complete Immunity For Mobs

Official government records and crime statistics reveal a deliberate pattern of selective law enforcement across the country. According to National Crime Records Bureau data, thousands of cases involving public rioting, property damage, and road violence are registered every year across various states. However, actual conviction rates for mob violence during political or religious rallies consistently remain below ten percent. Millions of pilgrims travel through major transport corridors during the annual pilgrimage, supported by thousands of deployed police officers and significant state funding. Yet, official records confirm that highway blockades, property destruction, and physical assaults recur annually with almost zero major convictions for mob leaders. State governments spend massive public funds welcoming these large processions while failing to protect ordinary taxpayers from routine physical harassment.

Misuse Of Laws Suppresses Citizens And Destroys Public Trust

Detailed judicial studies prove that legal provisions created to address hate speech and public mischief are systematically abused to punish dissenters and critics. Research analyzing judicial databases demonstrates a sharp increase in First Information Reports registered for allegedly hurting religious sentiments over the past decade. However, final judicial conviction rates in these specific categories remain extremely low, hovering between five percent and eight percent overall. This massive structural gap proves that police departments frequently file these cases to satisfy local political groups and intimidate vocal critics rather than to prosecute genuine criminal behavior. By ignoring street violence and rushing to penalize commentators, the police administration undermines its own institutional credibility and creates deep public distrust across all communities.

Demands For Legal Equality And An Immediate End To Selective Prosecutions

A democratic society governed by constitutional principles cannot function when law enforcement agencies operate with political and religious bias. The administration must immediately withdraw the criminal case registered against Sajid Rashidi and redirect its operational resources toward identifying and arresting the criminals who terrorized school children in Lucknow and attacked police officers in Meerut. Selective prosecution destroys the foundation of the judicial system and provides violent groups with a blanket license to violate public peace. Sound governance requires uniform legal consequences for every individual who commits a crime, combined with total legal protection for every citizen who raises a legitimate voice against violence and injustice in society.