UP cleric seeks stricter laws for blasphemy

Lucknow, Aug 26 (IANS) A top cleric from the Lucknow-based Majlis-e-Ulema-e-Hind has condemned the remarks made by suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh against Prophet Mohammad and urged the Centre to make the existing law more stringent to prevent provocative acts and speeches which hurt and insult religious sentiments.Imam Juma Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawad Naqvi, general secretary of the Majlis-e-Ulema-e-Hind, has appealed to the government to maintain religious tolerance while demanding strict action in the matter of insulting a religion."Some mischievous elements want India's democratic values and religious tolerance to be destroyed. Such people are present everywhere and they want to harm the unity of the country by inciting religious sentiments," he said. "Their act is for political gains. If the Indian government does not make the existing law stringent to prevent the blasphemous acts, it will harm the country in the long run."
--IANS amita/ksk/

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