AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel demands UAPA charges in Beed mosque blast case

Former Member of Parliament and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Imtiaz Jaleel has demanded that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) be invoked against two individuals arrested for allegedly planting gelatin sticks and triggering an explosion inside a mosque in Maharashtra’s Beed district.

According to PTI, the blast occurred in the early hours of Sunday at a mosque located in Ardha Masla village in Georai tehsil. The incident took place just ahead of Gudi Padwa and Ramzan Eid celebrations. While no casualties were reported, the internal structure of the mosque sustained damage due to the explosion.

Within hours of the incident, law enforcement authorities arrested two individuals identified as Vijay Rama Gavhane (22) and Sriram Ashok Sagde (24) for their alleged involvement in the act of targeting the religious place, PTI reports.

Speaking to reporters after offering Eid prayers in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jaleel strongly demanded that the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) be applied against the accused. He expressed concern over the selective implementation of laws, stating, “If a Muslim is responsible for even a minor incident, his house is bulldozed. But if our religious place is damaged using explosives, UAPA is not implemented. The law must be applied equally to all citizens.”

Jaleel called for stringent action against the culprits, stressing the need for deterrence to prevent such incidents from recurring. “We welcome the swift response of the police in apprehending the accused, but the application of UAPA is necessary in this case,” he reiterated.

The AIMIM leader also voiced his opposition to the demolition of the house belonging to an accused individual arrested in connection with recent violence in Nagpur. He questioned the justification behind punishing an entire family for an individual`s alleged wrongdoing.

“If the accused has committed an offence, what is the fault of his family? Now, the authorities claim that the house was an illegal encroachment. Where was the local administration all these years?” he remarked.

An official from the Beed police confirmed that the arrested individuals have been remanded to police custody until 3 April.

(With inputs from PTI)