Shia cleric’s passport suspended over proposed Iraq visit

Lucknow: The ministry of external affairs has suspended the passport of Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad over his proposed visit to Iraq which was cut short at New Delhi’s IGI airport last month. In a letter dated December 2, which the cleric received only on Friday, the MEA has said the suspension was being effected under Section 10(3) (c) of the Passports Act “in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of India, friendly relations of India with any foreign country, or in the interests of the general public”.
An Iraq-bound delegation led by Jawad was detained at IGI airport on November 24 by IB officials citing security concerns. Jawad said the MEA decision was ironical because the delegation was meant to foster peace between India and Iraq and send out a strong message against terror group ISIS which has overrun the West Asian country. In fact, he said, the delegation had been welcomed by the democratically-elected Iraqi prime minister and his scheduled meetings with top political and religious leaders of the country would have helped secure the release of Indian workers held captive by ISIS.
“First, a lookout notice, which is usually for absconding criminals, was issued against me. Now, my passport has been suspended just to add some validity to the move. This clearly shows that the government is not serious about fighting terror and is punishing those who stand up against it,” Jawad said.
“There are people who openly support ISIS on social media and have pledged allegiance to the terror group’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. No action has been taken against them but I am being made to look like a criminal,” Jawad added, in obvious reference to hardliner clerics in the city who have courted controversy in the past by allegedly backing the terror group.
The development has surprised many because Jawad is said to be close to Lucknow MP and Union home minister Rajnath Singh and his tacit support to the BJP in Lok Sabha elections brought him the ire of senior leaders of the Samajwadi Party, particularly Azam Khan.
In the MEA letter, the cleric has been asked to explain why his passport should not be impounded or revoked beyond the suspension period of four weeks which ends on December 22. He has also been asked to surrender his passport immediately.