Stones hurled at Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawads convoy in Lucknow; six named in FIR

LUCKNOW: Stones were thrown at the convoy of prominent Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad by a few miscreants in Lucknow on Monday night. However, no one was injured in the attack. The window of Maulanas car was broken, and he alleged that the attackers tried to kill him by breaking the glass while he was on his way to Karbala Abbas Bagh in Thakurganj area to inspect an encroachment. After the incident, Maulana sat on a protest on the road with his supporters. Based on his complaint, the police filed a case against six named accused --Pankaj, Muzammil, Shaajan, Rachit Tandon, Siraj, and Kashan -- and approximately 20 to 25 other individuals. Following the registration of FIR, Maulana ended the protest. Meanwhile, talking to media persons, Maulana accused the police authorities of being kind to those who incited riots. We were attacked eight months ago too. If police had taken action then, this attack would not have happened again, he asserted. Just FIR won't work. If strict action is not taken against these people within 24 hours, police won't be able to stop what happens next, he added. Maulana Kalbe Jawwad claimed that the attack happened in police presence and that the attackers were also raising religious slogans. He said he was on his way to inspect the illegal encroachment on 22 bigha land of Karbala Abbas Bagh located in Thakurganj. After the incident, he went to perform nikah amid heavy police bandobast. Some goons were standing there. When they stopped us, we called the police. Police said at the spot that a group of five will go for inspection. We agreed to this, said the cleric. When we were returning after inspection, our vehicle was stopped and religious slogans were raised. During this time, some people attacked our vehicle. They started pushing the car through the glass. Those people tried hard to break the glass and kill us. All this was happening in the presence of the police, he claimed. Maulana said that police negligence was evident even in the FIR that was registered. No serious sections were invoked against the culprits who wanted to spread religious frenzy and incite riots by raising religious slogans. If strict action was not taken within 24 hours, all the city's ulema would protest and demonstrate. We have given the district administration 24 hours to take strict action against the culprits, otherwise, no one would be able to stop the movement that would follow, he added.