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India Muslims in 'torture' rally | India Muslims in 'torture' rally |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Indian Muslims are holding a mass demonstration in the capital, Delhi, to protest against alleged harassment of Muslims by security forces. | |
Most of them arrived in Delhi on Thursday morning in a special train. | |
The train travelled from Azamgarh in northern Uttar Pradesh state and picked up more passengers en route to Delhi. | |
The organisers are also seeking a meeting with the interior minister. Indian police have been blamed by the community for torturing Muslims. | |
Security agencies, for example, have arrested 10 men from Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh in the past two years - all as suspects in different attacks. | Security agencies, for example, have arrested 10 men from Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh in the past two years - all as suspects in different attacks. |
One of the protest organisers, Maulana Amir Rashadi, said Muslim youths were being falsely targeted as terrorists. | |
The protesters arrived in Delhi carrying banners which said: "Let the truth prevail, bring the innocents out of jail" and "Give us security, not tears and blood". | |
The BBC's Joana Jolly in Delhi says more than 2,000 people gathered at the protest at Jantar Mantar, a popular forum for demonstrations. | |
'Justice' | |
Amik Jamai, an activist and documentary film maker who joined the protest, said Muslims were feeling "uncomfortable". | |
"The Muslims here are proud to be patriotic, they have promoted the concept of peace here, they live together in harmony," he told the BBC. | |
"We are hoping for justice. We are hoping for transparency." | |
In November, Human Rights Watch said police in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh should be prosecuted for torturing Muslims detained after bomb blasts last year. | |
The group warned of the risks of stigmatising and alienating "an entire community". | The group warned of the risks of stigmatising and alienating "an entire community". |
The state government had admitted that 21 men had been tortured and would each receive $600 in compensation. | The state government had admitted that 21 men had been tortured and would each receive $600 in compensation. |
A series of blasts in May and August 2007 killed nearly 60 people in the state capital, Hyderabad. | A series of blasts in May and August 2007 killed nearly 60 people in the state capital, Hyderabad. |
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