India: Bombay Cops say no to rally at Azad Maidan, but Muslim group firm

From: Times of India, May 26, 2013

Cops say no to rally at Azad Maidan, but Muslim group firm

Although the police denied members of the Muslim Reservation Federation permission to hold a morcha at Azad Maidan to demand reservation, activists and some senior federation members said they will march to Azad Maidan on May 27, as planned. Around 2,000 members of the federation left Malegaon for Mumbai on May 17 on foot. Their application for permission was rejected by the CP's office on May 23. ACP Q Khalid (east region) told organizers they could hold the morcha at Somaiya Ground instead. It is believed that the decision has been taken in light of the violence at Azad Maidan on August 11, 2012.

A section of the rally, organized by Muslim groups to protest killings in Assam and Myanmar, had turned violent. Two people died and several, including many police personnel, were injured in the violence. "That incident cannot be an alibi for refusing permission to another Muslim group to hold a peaceful rally at Azad Maidan," said a defiant Advocate Neyaz Lodhi, a leader of the Muslim Reservation Federation. Although The police have denied permission to hold morcha at Azad Maidan to the members of Muslim Reservation Federation, the activists are adamant on holding the morcha to press for the demand of Muslim reservation on May 27.

Around 2000 members of Muslim Reservation Federation left Malegaon on May 17 for 300 km "long march" to Mumbai on foot. They are scheduled to enter the city on May 27 and had applied to the commissioner of police for permission to hold a morcha at Azad Maidan. However, the CP's office, through its letter on May 23, informed the morcha organizers that the permission had been denied. Since the rally is expected to enter the city through Mulund check naka on the city's east side, Additional Commissioner of Police (east region) Quaisar Khalid called leaders of the Federation to his office on Friday and told them that they could apply for permission to hold morcha at Somaiya Ground instead. The Federation applied and permission was granted.

Yet some senior members of the Federation said on Saturday that they would continue with their original plan to march to Azad Maidan and hold a morcha there on May 27. "Why can't we hold morcha or dharna at Azad Maidan? The cops allowed the Maratha community to hold a massive rally at the same venue on May 4, but the Muslims have been refused permission. We want to know why?," asked senior Malegaon-based cleric Maulana Abdul Hameed Azhari.

Though the cops have not cited any reason for refusing permission to hold morcha at Azad Maidan, it is believed that the decision has been taken in the light of August 11, 2012 rally at the same venue. A section of the rally, organized by Muslim groups to protest killings in Assam and Myanmar, had turned violent. Two people died and several, including many police personnel, were injured in the violence. "That incident cannot be an alibi for refusing permission to another Muslim group to hold a peaceful rally at Azad Maidan," said a defiant Advocate Neyaz Lodhi, a leader of the Muslim Reservation Federation.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/20268944.cms