Maharashtra: Muslims leaders are planning to support BJP or Shiv Sena

It comes as a big shock to Congress and NCP as the leaders of the Muslim community are intending to support BJP or Shiv Sena in return for an assurance that the basic problems of the community would be tackle.

And adding to NCP’s embarrassment, Muslims in that party led by its minority cell chief Habib Fakih have left the party fuming over Muslims not being nominated as candidates from minority pockets in Vidarbha and Marathwada.

“We want to trounce Congress and NCP. Time is ripe for that,” said Shabbir Ansari of All India Muslim OBC Organisation (AIMOBC), further stating that they were in touch with Sena and BJP. Ansari and community representatives met Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday.

According to Ansari, Muslims were open to supporting pro- Hindutva parties if they in the presence of others promised to address the community’s basic problems like police framing innocent youth, fast-tracking pending criminal cases against them, easing granting of caste, protecting wakf board lands and validity certificates to OBC Muslims and providing Muslim youth employment.

Ansari, who was appointed to head a committee of community leaders to negotiate with political parties on the issue, said they would soon decide whether to support Sena or the BJP after these parties made their stance clear on “our demands”.

“Congress and NCP have been using Muslims by projecting Sena and BJP as communal. There is no doubt Sena and BJP took a communal line as they did not get Muslim votes. However, we want to go with them and see if they are really communal or not,” said Ghulam Peshimam, who is part of the committee.

“No one is untouchable. It will be good if we join hands,” said Peshimam, a member of Muslims for Secular Democracy (MSD).The decision was likely on Monday, said Peshimam.

Meanwhile, Fakih, who was part of NCP’s parliamentary board said he had quit the party with around 65% of its minority workers and said most of them favoured joining Sena.

Fakih, is from Raigad, attacked Tatkare and Ajit Pawar and pointed out how Muslims had been denied a fair share of nominations in regions where they had substantial numbers like Vidarbha and Marathwada.
“This is the party of Ajit Dada, not Pawar saheb (NCP chief),” said Fakih, alleging that Ajit-Tatkare duo was taking decisions with no consultation from others.

Leaders of party’s youth, women and backward classes cells had been given berths in the legislative council, minority cell leaders had been neglected, he said.