Four Muslim Outfits Seek Political Say: ‘Why is Muslim missing from poll narrative of BJP, Cong?’

At a press meet of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Insaf Trust, Hamaari Awaaz, Gujarat Unit of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, a view was expressed that both the Congress and the ruling BJP were either “ignoring Muslims or avoiding” the community’s core problems like their demand for due representation in polls and discriminating against them in all the spheres of life.

Representatives of four Muslim organisations have expressed concern that the community is missing from the poll narrative of both the BJP and the Congress. At a press meet of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Insaf Trust, Hamaari Awaaz, Gujarat Unit of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, a view was expressed that both the Congress and the ruling BJP were either “ignoring Muslims or avoiding” the community’s core problems like their demand for due representation in polls and discriminating against them in all the spheres of life.

“The Congress asking Muslims to abandon their religious attire and yet wanting their votes is a dangerous trend if it spreads to other parts of the country,” said Kaleem Siddiqui of Insaf Trust. He was referring to a report about a Congress party meeting reportedly making a suggestion that Muslims should keep a low profile during voting.

Chairman of All India Congress Committee’s Minority Cell, Khurshid Ahmed Saiyed told The Indian Express, “A meeting of Gujarat Congress minority leaders was held on Sunday at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan. There was no such advice given to Muslims. But knowing that the BJP is master of polarisation by showing fake videos or photographs of Hindus clad in Islamic dresses in wrong context… a party worker was telling his colleagues that Muslims should be wary of such things and keep a low profile”.

Mohammed Shafi Madni president of Gujarat unit of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat said that Muslims constitute 10 per cent population, and in 21 Assembly constituencies where they constitute 20 per cent population, Muslim candidates should be fielded. He also said the the government should not keep representation of Muslims limited to Waqf Board or Haj Committee, they should hold stake in all Government bodies.

Social worker Umar Vohra said that Muslims had no social space in the State as avenues of inter community interaction. He said that Muslims were not demanding reservation in jobs but they must be given reservation in education. They said that the Disturbed Areas Act that came into being in 1986 was the biggest reason for ghettoisation of Muslims, which must be abolished or injustice to Muslims in the name of this law must be stopped at the earliest.

“But no party was talking about this,” he added. The community leaders alleged that the BJP government was effectively discriminating against the Muslims by denying allotment of homes under affordable housing schemes. They also demanded the Government must stop denial of benefits to the community in the name of appeasement on the one hand and giving the same benefits to other communities. They said this discrimination must be stopped immediately.