A Tableegi Jamaat Ijtama scheduled to take place in Siyana town, Bulandshahr, has been abruptly called off following a permission dispute with local authorities.
The event, which was slated to be held from August 24 to 26, faced resistance from authorities who claimed that the necessary permissions were not granted for its execution.
Tensions escalated when approximately 12 policemen arrived at the event site, instructing participants to dismantle the erected tents immediately or face forcible removal.
According to a participant, who wished to remain anonymous, “Around 12 policemen came and told us to remove the tents or they will pull them off.”
Despite the event’s historical precedent, as a similar Ijtama was successfully conducted in Siyana in 2016, the organizers were informed that no new activities would be permitted in the town.
The eyewitness pointed out that the Ijtama was not an unfamiliar event in Siyana. “The authorities didn’t give any written permission for the Ijtama, saying that they won’t allow anything new in the town. The Ijtama, however, isn’t new. The previous Ijtama in Siyana was held in 2016,” he stated.
In response to the authorities’ concerns, the organizers argued that the event was meant to take place within a confined space, specifically within the Mohalla (neighbourhood), rather than in an open public area. Despite this clarification, the event’s request for permission was ultimately denied.
According to the authorities, the event’s organizers did not obtain the necessary permission for the event.
“Each gathering within the town must receive authorization from the authorities, and in this case, they had not obtained it,” Narendra Singh, an officer from the Siyana Police Station told The Observer Post.
