After threatening to invoke jehad and demand new Pakistan for Muslims if India were to become a Hindu Rashtra, the maverick maulana from Kolkata Nurur Rehman Barkati has now attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS for harassing him and the Muslim society by bringing vengeful legislations, like ban on laal batti. Barkati has been booked for using laal batti despite ban.
Refusing to do away with the red beacon he was using as the Shahi Imam (royal priest) of Tipu Sultan Mosque, he said no Government had the authority to take it off his car as it was provided to his father by the British Government and the red beacon
had become as “heritage” an institution as his priestly seat.
When reminded that red-beaconed cars had been rendered illegal after the passing of new central laws, he said he would not take orders from the Centre on issues related to religion and added it was the Prime Minister and the RSS which were “illegal.”
Alleging that Muslims were passing through bad times under the present regime, Barkati said, “If they are harassing a person like me so much then what might they be doing to the common MuslimsIJ”
Attacking the RSS for “trying to build Hindu Rashtra” in India he said the harmony of the country was being disturbed by the saffron groups.
Considered a political points-man of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee among the Urdu-speaking Muslims of Bengal that constitute a good 5 per cent of the total population, the immediate trigger behind Barkati’s outburst was an FIR being lodged against him by a BJP worker in Kolkata.
Suraj Kumar Singh the said BJP supporter from Topsia area of Kolkata had filed an FIR against Muslim cleric for refusing to comply with the new laws.
He had said that he was a religious leader and was using the red light on his car for several decades. “Even my father enjoyed the same facility,” he said adding as a religious leader he had to visit many places for urgent work and “red beacon is a necessity in such cases.”
The diehard cleric had earlier threatened jehad “if India is declared Hindu Rashtra, and azaan and the Quran are banned in this country.” He also demanded a new Pakistan for the Muslims in case India predominantly became Hindu.