Imam Rashidi said there is no trouble in Asansol at present. (Partha Paul) Sitting on a bed inside his room at Noorani Mosque in Asansol, Imam Imdadulla Rashidi was busy teaching verses from the Quran to two little children. Once done with his class, Imam Rashidi, who lost his son to violence during Ram Navami processions in Asansol in 2018, said he is now seeking an end to the inner turmoil that he has been enduring for the last four years.
“What happened is in the past now. There is no trouble at present. People are living peacefully. And I would say the same things that I had said at the time. There should not be any animosity between communities. There is no better feeling than to see peaceful ambience in a state,” the Imam said.
In 2018, hours after his 16-year-old son was found dead, Maulana Imdadul Rashidi had presided over a congregation where he appealed for peace. He told the crowd that he would leave the mosque and the town if there was any retaliation for his son’s death.
Last month, he refused to testify against two persons arrested in connection to his son’s death, even taking his lawyers by surprise. Due to his refusal to testify, the two persons were acquitted in the case which according to him now stands closed.
“I did not go to the court as a witness to testify against them as I had not seen who killed my son. Since I had not seen them with my own eyes, there was no point going to the court and giving a false statement. I do not believe in such actions,” Imam Rashidi said.
With the Asansol Lok Sabha bypoll just around the corner, the Imam said it does not bother him that former Union minister Babul Supriyo, who was accused of inciting violence in Asansol when he was a BJP MP, has switched over to the TMC.
Endorsing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mode of governance, he said, “The Mamata Banerjee government is good for people of the state. Under her rule, there is no discrimination among people and all are being treated equally. Jab kaam hota hain toh sabke liye hota hain (When welfare is done, it is done for everyone).
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
