STOP HARASSMENT OF INNOCENT MUSLIMS: IMC

Expressing shock at the news reports that a number of Muslims have been picked up by the police after the August 25 twin blasts, Indian Muslim Council-USA demanded justification on the "abrupt arrests."

The blasts, coming just months after bomb blast in the historic Makkah Masjid of Hyderabad killed at least 43 people, many of them Muslims. IMC-USA, an advocacy group based in USA, called the arrests "a knee jerk reaction by the administration to cover up the failure in stopping these incidents." Even though Muslims are also amongst the victims, "the police is always predisposed to victimise the Muslim community in the form of arrests and torture without any due diligence and formal charges," alleged the statement issued by the IMC-USA.

Only a few of the arrested youth have been released, according to Latif Mohd Khan of Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, India (CLMCI) and Hyderabad Police did accept that 10 have been arrested in connection with twin bomb blasts. CLMCI have alleged that about 50 youth have been arrested.

IMC-USA also urged National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to immediately start an investigation into the alleged harassment of innocent and helpless people and publish its findings.

The organisation asked all the lawmakers including Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly representing Greater City of Hyderabad to intervene in this matter and ensure due process upholding the law.