Clerics Aligned with JD-U Attack Imarat-e Shariah Office in Patna
Clerics Aligned with JD-U Attack Imarat-e Shariah Office in Patna
M.U.H
30/03/202552
PATNA: Miffed at the boycott of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s iftar party by prominent Muslim bodies including Imarat-e Shariah earlier this week, a group of clerics aligned with the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) attacked the Imarat-e Shariah office here on Saturday.
The group mounted the attack with the active connivance of a large posse of policemen after the chief minister’s iftar party flopped due to the Muslim boycott over the JD-U supremo’s support for the Waqf Amendment Bill.
According to reports, a heavy police force led by senior officers, flanked by clerics and a group of JD-U workers, descended on the office of the Imarat-e Shariah to felicitate the alleged takeover attempt by the clerics aligned with Bihar’s ruling party.
Tho raiding group also issued a statement on the official Imarat-e Shariah letterhead declaring the removal of the current president of the group for being a citizen of another country and not being an Aalim. The statement also declared Maulna Anisurrahman Qasmi as the new head of the Imarat-e Sharia and seizure of all powers vested in the Imarat-e Shariah board of trustees.
Later, the Muslim body released an official statement stating the reasons behind the attack by the group of JD-U leaders.
“Leaders of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) launched a systematic attack on Imarat-e Shariah Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, led by JD-U leader Ahmed Ashfaq Karim with the support of several pro-JD-U Muslim leaders, including Maulana Anisur Rahman Qasmi, Maulana Abu Talib Rahmani, Maulana Muhammad Shibli Qasmi, Maulana Zafar Abdul Rauf, Mufti Nazar Tauheed Mazahiri, Advocate Raghib Ahsan, Manzoor Alam Atki, Dr Majeed Alam Ranchi, Mahmood Alam Kolkata, and Riaz Sharif Jamshedpur,” said the Muslim body.
“This malicious act was fully backed by police forces and JD-U workers, clearly indicating that it was carried out under government patronage. It is highly regrettable that JD-U representatives executed this conspiracy during the holy month of Ramadan, taking advantage of the office being in a state of holiday recess. Their objective was to exploit the reduced presence of personnel at Imarat-e Shariah,” it added.
According to the statement, the primary purpose of this attack was to retaliate against the successful protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill and to break the confidence of the Muslim community by forcibly imposing JD-U-backed individuals in the leadership of Imarat-e Shariah, thereby attempting to enslave the institution—a move that Imarat-e Shariah’s responsible leaders firmly rejected.
The incident sparked immense outrage in political and community circles. Religious scholars, national organisations, and civil society groups strongly condemned this unconstitutional and undemocratic attack, calling it a direct assault on the autonomy of a historic national institution like Imarat-e Shariah.
The Imarat-e Shariah said JD-U’s actions are being viewed as a sinister attempt to weaken Muslim leadership, which could have long-term negative consequences. The JD-U leaders and their supporters should remember that threats and force cannot silence Imarat-e Shariah. It has always fought for the sanctity, autonomy, and rights of the Muslim community, and it will continue to do so, it said.
In another statement, Ameer-e-Shariat of Imarat-e Shariah Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand, Maulana Ahmad Wali Faisal Rahmani, informed that the body has dismissed Maulana Muhammad Shibli Al-Qasmi from the position of Naib Nazim (Deputy Administrator) and has ordered legal action against him.
The Muslim body said after a thorough investigation, it was proven that Maulana Muhammad Shibli Al-Qasmi falsely presented himself as the General Administrator (Nazim-e-Aam) of Imarat-e Shariah and sought police intervention for an unauthorised electoral process. “This act is a serious violation of Imarat-e Shariah’s internal regulations, constitution, and trust. His irresponsible actions not only harmed the reputation of Imarat-e Shariah but also severely disrupted its discipline and administration,” the body said.
