UP ATS Arrest Islamic Scholar Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui From Meerut

Renowned Islamic scholar, Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui was arrested by Uttar Pradesh ATS on Tuesday evening reportedly in connection with the Dr Umar Gautam religious conversion case.

He was arrested along with three others while they were on their way to their home after attending a program at Lisari Gate, Meerut, Hindustan Gazette reported.

Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui is a well-known Islamic scholar and propagator from Phulat, Uttar Pradesh.

Amanatullah Khan, the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Delhi’s Okhla called the arrest “atrocity on Muslims”.

“Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, a famous Islamic scholar, has been arrested before the elections in Uttar Pradesh. The atrocities on Muslims are increasing. The silence of secular parties on these issues is giving more strength to the BJP. BJP, how much will you fall to win the election?” he tweeted.

The UP ATS has accused Maulana Kaleem of engaging in the propagation of Islam and of receiving foreign funds for the same.

In June this year, the UP ATS had arrested Dr Mohammad Umar Gautam and Mufti Qazi Jahangir Qasmi accusing them of forcefully converting people to Islam. Their arrest had drawn severe criticism from Muslim community leaders, who questioned the allegations against them, saying that propagating one’s religion is a constitutional right and that conversion is not a crime.