Maulana Shabbir Ahmad, manager of Alfarooq Inter College in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district, was recently arrested under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020. The case stems from a four-year-old complaint by a failed job applicant alleging forced conversion—a charge supporters insist lacks new evidence. The arrest has drawn criticism for creating a “worrying precedent” and raising concerns about administrative impartiality and social harmony (Maktoob media).
Chandra Shekhar Azad, MP and chief of the Bhim Army, called the arrest a politically motivated “vendetta,” and demanded a fresh, unbiased investigation by the DIG of Basti, along with a stay on Maulana Ahmad’s detention (Maktoob media). In a statement on X, he asked: “If the case dates back to 2020, why was no complaint lodged until now? Is this a religious matter, or a personal vendetta?” (Maktoob media).
College staff and community leaders counter that Maulana Ahmad has been a respected figure promoting interfaith dialogue and harmony. One teacher stated, “I have never witnessed any such incident” in the scholar’s tenure since 1997 (Maktoob media).
The UP anti‑conversion law has drawn widespread criticism, with over 79 cases filed predominantly against Muslim men, including scholars and preachers (iamc.com). Critics argue its vague provisions enable misuse as a tool for political targeting and communal bias (iamc.com, Wikipedia).
