Uttar Pradesh man becomes Hindu for firearm license

Lucknow: In a bizarre incident, a Muslim youth in Baghpat district has converted to Hinduism in order to get a license for a rifle.

The youth Furqan Ahmad became a Hindu last week, shaved off his head leaving a ‘choti’ behind and sported a ‘tilak’ on his forehead before proclaiming that he was now Phool Singh.

According to Furqan Ahmad, he was keen to work as a security guard but need a licence for a firearm for this. “Since the past six year, I have been trying to get my license made but could not succeed. All my papers were in order but the still did not get the license”, he said.

Furqan has six children and drives an e-rickshaw. He wanted to work as a part-time security guard to supplement his income. Furqan had first applied for the license in 2010 and kept doing the rounds of various offices to get clearances and permission. In 2014, he was curtly informed that his file had been ‘lost’.

“I filed a fresh application and went through all the procedures again but could not get the license. In the past six years, Baghpat has seen ten district magistrates but my case remains where it was”, he stated.

Furqan even filed an RTI about his case and was told that during he past six years, 378 people had been given arms licences but his case was not even put up for perusal of officials. He  said that a friend of his said that he was probably being denied a license because he was a Muslim living in a communally sensitive district.

“It was then that I decided to convert and become a Hindu because for me, giving my children a square meal is more important than my religion. So I am now Phool Singh and will again apply for the licences and I hope to get it this time”, he said.