‘Activist’ arrested under PD Act

Kashaf had threatened violence against Raja Singh

Syed Abdahu Quadri, also known as Kashaf, was detained under the Preventive Detention Act on Tuesday for allegedly raising a slogan calling for violence against Bharatiya Janata Party legislator T. Raja Singh.

The 27-year-old, a resident of Old Malakpet, who describes himself as a “social and civil rights activist” in his Twitter bio was arrested after he staged a dharna near the Police Commissioner’s office in Basheerbagh against the BJP legislator’s objectionable comments about Prophet Muhammad.

According to a statement released to the media, the Hyderabad City Police said that Kashaf instigated protesters to “raise provocative and inflammatory slogans” calling for the BJP legislator’s beheading. This, police said, created hatred between communities. “Since this video and slogans went viral on national television channels and social media platforms, it created a disturbance to public order throughout the country,” police said.

Police also stated that Kashaf has as many as four cases registered against him, three of which were registered at the Central Crime station, and are connected to creating hatred between communities.

“The provocative and inciting slogans raised by the detenu during the protest programme has caught the attention of the gullible youth of the Muslim community which led to widespread protest programmes with violent incidents in different parts of the Hyderabad City,” police stated.

While Kashaf was arrested on August 25, he was released the same evening on bail.

Meanwhile, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen later in the day issued a statement clarifying that Kashaf is not associated with the party. “The PD Act was invoked by the Hyderabad Police against a person today. That person has nothing to do with our party and its activities,” the public relations wing of the party stated.