Stone-pelting by youth in self-defence: DJS

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, OCT. 15. The Darsgah Jihad-o-Shahadat will soon take out a rally from Mecca masjid to the Raj Bhavan condemning the US attacks on Afghanistan.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, its president, Mr. Shaik Mahboob Ali, took exception to the police entering the Mecca masjid wearing shoes. Justifying and defending the stone- pelting by youngsters on Friday, Mr. Ali said: "The youth began throwing stones only when the police resorted to lathicharge."

When asked if removal of stones of the mosque did not amount to damaging the masjid itself, he said that everything done in `self-defence' was acceptable. "Removing and breaking stones of the mosque, and damaging the mosque are two different issues," he hastened to add.

He asked the Government to initiate disciplinary action against the police personnel responsible for firing tear gas shells on `innocent' youth. Mr. Ali made it clear that there was neither a women's wing of the DJS in the name of Dukhtaran-e-Millat nor the DJS was involved in the October 12 incidents as reportedly stated by the Police Commissioner, Mr. P. Ramulu.

He said it was not befitting on the part of the Commissioner to make such statements. He stated that his organisation had a network of 20,000 activists in the State. Training was being imparted to activists in martial arts like karate for `self- defence.'

Mr. Ali showered praises on Osama bin Laden, describing him as "the best man around fighting for us". Referring to the statement of RSS leaders that a temple would be constructed at Ayodhya, he said: "If they build temple, we will remove the statues and offer namaz there."

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