There is unrest among the Muslim community in the State capital over distribution of a controversial handbill and circulation of the same on hottest social networking medium whatsapp. The matter becomes more serious especially for the walled city residents because name of internationally acclaimed Urdu poet Manzar Bhopali was intentionally associated with it.
The handbill has created unrest in the Muslim community because of the poem printed on it that purportedly equates Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with Prophet Muhammad.
However, some mischievous elements in order to defame the noted poet and create communal tension using his name took the picture of the handbill and before circulating it on the whatsapp attached Manzar Bhopali's name by writing 'Manzar Bhopali ka karnama' (deed of Manzar Bhopali) above the handbill picture.
Manzar Bhopali said the mischievous elements have succeeded in erupting controversy and if action is not initiated by the police administration, then the atmosphere of the State could be vitiated, he added.
Manzar Bhopali understanding the seriousness of the issue came into action and on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Shahar Qazi of Bhopal Mushtaq Ali Nadwi and District Collector demanding to instruct the authorities concerned for taking strict action against those responsible for trying to disturb the peace of the city and the State.
Bhopali while talking to 'The Pioneer' said, "I approached the Shahar Qazi because he is our religious head and the controversial handbill is hurting our religious sentiments, in this issue it is only he (Shahar Qazi) who could pacify the community and instruct the authorities concern for speedy investigation of the same."
However, two complaints in this regard have been lodged against unidentified persons in two separate police stations of the city including Koh-e-Fiza and Jehangirabad police stations.
Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee- minority department chairman Mohammed Saleem also lodged a complaint with the Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Jaideep Govind on Tuesday alleging BJP of vitiating the atmosphere doing communal politics at a time when model code of conduct in is force in the state.
Sources said the handbill in question was first spotted in the facebook wall of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dushyant Patel in Borsad town of in Anand district on February 10. On this basis, the Gujarat police registered a criminal case against Patel.