An imam from Bihar staying in a mosque in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, has resulted in a police FIR, igniting a debate. The police’s move followed the imam’s stay without prior notification. Consequently, a case was registered on September 9 against the head of the mosque and the imam. Asaduddin Owaisi, the AIMIM chief and MP, weighed in on the issue, stating that the SP should consider the implications of Article 19. Owaisi, in a video on social media, described the Khandwa police’s action as unconstitutional. He asserted that the accommodation of the imam was not a crime and that the SP should understand the significance of Article 19, a cornerstone of fundamental rights. The police asserted that their actions were by the rules. SP Manoj Kumar Rai emphasized that informing the police about external residents is mandatory. The mosque’s leader, Haji Hanif Khan, and the imam from Bihar, were charged under Section 188 for violating the district magistrate’s orders by failing to notify the local police station about the imam’s residence. The SP said that during the implementation of Section 144 in the district, it is mandatory to notify the police station about external individuals staying within the area.
