The Supreme Court on Monday termed as “absolutely frivolous” a petiiton filed by ex-Shia Waqf Board chairperson Waseem Rizvi seeking removal of 26 verses from the Quran and dismissed it with a fine of Rs 50,000 on the petitioner.

The petition was filed by Rizvi seeking deletion of 26 specific verses from the Quran allegedly because they, according to him, violate the law of the land and promote extremism.

When the matter came up for hearing initially, a three-judge bench of Justices R.F. Nariman, B.R. Gavai and Hrishikesh Roy asked senior advocate R.K. Raizada whether he was serious about pursuing the petition.

The counsel argued that he was concerned mainly with various madrasas imparting Quran lessons by teaching the impugned verses which he said fomented terrorism in the country.

He argued that madrasas are entrusted with the task to maintain the standard of teaching. But the said verses indoctrinate the children with extremist philosophy, he said.

Such a right the counsel argued is not protected under Article 25 of the Constitution which gives every person right to practice and profess any religion.

“Students are not to be indoctrinated. Salafists and Wahabis are using this. This means internationalisation of terror is happening…” he said

According to the petitioner, he had earlier written a letter to the Centre for deletion of the 26 verses, but finding no response from the government was forced to move the apex court.

Justice Nariman, heading the bench, after a brief conversation with the other two judges then dismissed the petition saying it was “absolutely frivolous” and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the petitioner.

The petition said: “Our country has been a victim of terrorism for the last over seven decades, specifically Islamic terrorism, which has become the worrying feature of the contemporary life… Islamic terrorism, or radical terrorism are terrorist acts against civilians, committed by violent Islamists. Such attacks have targeted both, Muslims and non-Muslims.

“At present the basic edifices of modern Indian state like democracy, state security, rule of law, sovereignty and integrity, basic human rights etc are under attack of Islamic terrorism.

“Unfortunately, justifications given by Islamists terrorist groups for the attacks on non-believers/civilians emanate from the 26 verses/suras of the Islamic holy book ‘Quran’.

“These justifications include retribution by armed jehad for perceived injustices by non-believers against believers/Muslims, the belief that killing of non-believers (kafirs) is permitted in Islam, the need to establish Islam by forcibly enforcing Sharia law, establishing Islamic State and caliphate as head of the Islamic State within the country, glorifying the terrorists as martyrs, heavenly reward of company of opposite sex for martyrdom and supremacy of Islam over all other religions.

“On account of these 26 verses contained in holy Quran, innocent Muslim students studying in the institutions providing elementary education (madrasas) get radicalized at a very tender age which is not only against the peace and harmony of the country but also against unity, integrity and sovereignty.”