Shia protest against Waqf board turns violent

A protest by the shia muslims here against “corruption” in nominations for the Shia Waqf Board turned violent on Friday when demonstrators clashed with the police leaving several people injured.

Senior Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Javaad, who led the demonstration, alleged that a protester died after a lathi charge. Officials sources, however, have not confirmed the death.

Trouble sparked off when hundreds of Shia Muslims tried to march towards Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s residence after the last Friday Ramzan prayer to register their protest against the move to nominate “tainted” people in the Board by Waqf Minister Azam Khan.

As the protesters broke the barricade, the police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd triggering a clash. The protesters also pelted stones and thrashed a few cops, who were caught by the mob, sources said. The busy Vidhan Sabha Marg turned into a virtual battle field.

Javaad, alleging that the police did not spare senior citizens and children, who were also among the demonstrators, squatted on the road demanding assurance by the government that no tainted person would be appointed to the Board.

“Azam Khan is shielding the corrupt...it seems he is hand in glove with the tainted people,” Javaad said.

Over two dozen people, including some cops, have sustained injuries in the clashes, sources said. A violent mob later torched some vehicles near the historic Rumi Gate in protest against the police action.

Tension prevailed in the old city areas where shias are in sizable numbers and security personnel in strength had been deployed to maintain law and order. Lucknow has witnessed sectarian clashes in the past between the Shias and Sunnis.