Mumbai, December 10: A six-member group of Islamic organisation Raza Academy was briefly detained by Mumbai Police after they staged a demonstration outside the Chinese consulate in the city. The protest was organised to mark their angst against the "Uyghur genocide". The demonstrators intended to raise awareness over the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China's Xinjiang province. Chinese Actions Against Uyghurs Must Be Recognised as 'Genocide', Says American Activist Rushan Abbas.

The protest was headed by Barelvi cleric M Saeed Noori, who is also the head of Raza Academy. Only five others went ahead with him to demonstrate outside the Chinese consulate due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

"President of Raza Academy M Saeed Noori along with 5 members detained today by Marine Drive Police station for protesting outside the Chinese Consulate against the Chinese atrocities on Uighur Muslims," said a statement issued by the Mumbai Police.

Update by ANI

Visuals shared from the site of demonstration showed Noori and other protesters raising the Indian flag while carrying placards that blamed China of committing atrocities against the Uyghur Muslims. They demanded the international community to hold Beijing accountable.

In the past month, an agitation involving several Raza Academy members was held in South Mumbai to raise awareness over the plight of Uyghurs. Noori, while speaking to reporters, had cited the onset of coronavirus as the reason why they were not protesting in larger numbers.

Notably, China is under fire from human rights groups for holding around one million Muslims of Xinjiang in detention camps. Reports have also claimed that several mosques and shrines in the frontier province were razed over the past decade by the Communist government.

An Australian think-tank, in a report tabled before the government in September, claimed that 8,500 mosques were destroyed in the last three years, particularly those outside the main provincial cities of Urumqi and Kashgar. Beijing, however, has denied the allegation of demolishing the places of worship.

Reports have also alleged a "genocide" being committed by China against the Uyghur minorities. A Byline Times report, citing testimonies from the survivors of the detention camps in Xinjiang, claimed that hundreds have been slaughtered for "organ harvesting". A research conducted by the Jamestown Foundation has revealed that "sterilizations, IUDs, and coercive birth prevention" measures are being used to prevent the Uyghur population from growing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 10, 2020 05:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).