By Syed Zubair Ahmad, Muslim Mirror
Some of the Urdu journalists dismayed over the recent developments in All India Muslim Personal Law Board have written an open letter to Maulana Wali Rahmani, the general secretary of All India Muslim Personal Law Board , asking him, through social media, to explain and clarify the accusations of a ‘deal’ which culminated in an MLC seat gifted to his close aide and an Urdu journalist moments after ‘Deen Bachawo Desh Bachao rally finished in Patna on 15th April .
The letter alleged Khalid Anwar to be a person of dubious credentials, a land-mafia who grabs even graveyard plots, and that he is very close to Maulana Rahmani, since long.
Some of these articulations speculate a likelihood that a Nitish led “third-front”, comprising Ram Vilas Paswan, Pappu Yadav, etc., will be floated to make a dent into ‘secular’ votes, and also to split the Muslim votes, thereby facilitating BJP’s victory in Bihar; and that having befooled the Muslims, subsequently, the “third-front” will re-join NDA. Another speculation is: with this, Nitish may enhance his bargaining power within NDA.
Now its clear that some “political brokers” have infiltrated in the All India of Muslim Personal Law Board and using its platform to further their ‘political ambition’. It is also alleged in the Muslim circles that the Board’s present general secretary has been “patronizing such persons of dubious credentials” and even “opposing” their expulsion from the Board.
The latest case in point is a huge rally organized by the Imarat-e-Shariah. The “Deen Bachao, Desh Bacho rally was actually organized by the All India Muslim Personal Board particularly its gen secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani.Now its official that the Nitish govt, spent at least 40 lakh rupees on the rally, but unconfirmed reports say ‘at least 2 crore was spent by politicians close to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in the mobilization of Patna rally and make it a success.
AIMPLB is considered as the only coherent platform of the Indian Muslims which represents every shade of religious school. However, these ‘vested interested’ have been using it for some political gain and to serve the interest of the present government which is only tarnishing the image of the Board.
The “sudden decision” of winding up of the women’s campaign against the controversial Triple Talaq Bill by Maulana Wali Rahmani came under a cloud as it is said that some ‘dubious members have been in touch with the present political masters.
Sources close to Board revealed that one member of the Board who is very close to Maulana Rahmani met with Zafar Sareshwala in Mumbai days before the announcement of ‘winding up’ agitations against Triple Talaq Bill.
Furthermore, on April 2, Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi (who was inducted in Board on the insistence of Maulana Rahmani) along with some other Maulanas with dubious characters who appear frequently on TV screens met with home minister Rajnath Singh.
When an Urdu daily sought to confirm his meeting with the Home Minister he flatly said all such reports are baseless.
Meanwhile, on a WhatsApp group, the Board’s women wing president was asked about the meeting with HM, she feigned ignorance about any such meeting.
On the same day at the evening, the Board issued a press release on behalf of Maulana Wali Rahmani which said ‘all agitation by women against Triple Talaq Bill should be stopped at once: In the letter, Maulana Rahmani thanked all Muslim women who participated in agitation from the depth of heart.
The press release also said that ‘Maulana has appealed to all prominent Muslim personalities to bring a maximum number of Muslim women to participate in April 4 protest and make that a grand success.
On April 5, probably when the meeting of Mufti Aijaz with Rajnath become ‘Open Secret’, a photo of the meeting was released to media with a clarification that ‘keeping the Ramlila Maidan protest in view’ the photo of meeting with Rajnath Singh was not released at that time, it might have adversely affected the protest program of April 4.’
The question arises, if the meeting with the HM was not approved by the Board, then why ‘it took caution’ in releasing the photo that was made public after the protest rally in Ramlila ground. Second, if the meeting was permitted by the general secretary, then why other members were kept in dark about it?
It is to mention here that Mufti Aijaz and Kamal Farooqui both are considered to be close to Maulana Rahmani who had met RSS Godman Ravi Shankar in Bangalore and Delhi last year.
When this issue was raised with Maulana Rahmani, he told Muslim Mirror that action will be taken against those members who met Ravi Shankar without the permission of the Board. However, no action taken had been taken against them. Moreover, when some prominent members of Board raised this issue during the executive committee meeting of the Board in Kolkata, it was only Maulana Rahmani who defended them Mufti Aijaz. This was revealed by some members who told MuslimMirror on the condition of anonymity.
When Muslim Mirror contacted Zafar Sareshwala to confirm the news about his meeting with a prominent Board member in Mumbai (who is also very close to Maulana Rahmani) Sareshwala neither confirmed nor denied about such meeting but added ‘those who abuse me in public always meet me privately and become my guests’.
Mr. Sareshwala claimed that ‘prior to Hyderabad meeting of Personal Law Board, three Board members met with me and requested to arrange a meeting with PM Modi and Law Minister, I said them if you want to solve the problem and present your point of views before PM or Law minister I can arrange a meeting but send your request officially on Board’s letterhead.”
Sareshwala further claimed that he told these members that “I know you won’t send the request on Board’s letterhead because you people don’t want to solve the problem as it will be an end of your politics and that you never want.”
Speaking to MuslimMirror. S Q R Ilyas said that he was not aware of such meetings; he came to know about it only through newspapers.
“I am aware that some persons with dubious characters have been inducted in Board and action must be taken against them. If a person Salman Nadvi can be shown the doors then what is the stature of these people,” he added.
The Patna rally fiasco has exposed the faultiness in the Board and it is high time for the present mandarins of the Board to clean it from brokers before its too late. They should throw out such black ships from the rank of Board and save its credibility which is fading away very fast.
Courtesy “Muslim Mirror“