After Didi, Imams want no elections during Ramzan

Apparently encouraged by the Mamata Banerjee Government’s sustained pressure on holding Panchayat elections before Ramzan, Muslim religious leaders from Bengal have petitioned State Election Commission to complete the rural poll process within May 15 after which their month-long festival would commence.

They have threatened legal action if their demands were not heeded. Imams of 40 Muslim religious associations including the Shahi Imam of Nakhoda Mosque in Kolkata on Wednesday approached the SEC with their demands and said they would move the court if their appeal went unheard.

“We have met the Commission officials and narrated them about the problems the members of Muslim community will face if the elections are held in the month of Ramadan,” said the Imam of the 92 year mosque, the largest in Kolkata with a capacity of accommodating 10,000 devotees.

“Talks were held in a congenial atmosphere. We told them about our issues. We were asked as to whether there would be problem if the poll process overlapped with initial few days of Ramzan. We have made our points clear that it will not be possible for us to take part in electoral process. We also said that there would be no other way but to move the court if our demands were not heeded,” another religious leader said.

The Chief Minister had in public meetings claimed on more than one occasion that she wanted the poll process to be over before the Ramzan.

Considering the mandatory 21-days gap between the last date of filing nominations and the first date of polls panchayat elections cannot take place before May 15 and considering the number of booths and the available police personnel it is nearly impossible to complete the poll process before the dates getting overlapped with Ramzan, sources said.

Two rounds of talks between the SEC and the State Government has failed to deliver results with the poll panel demanding at least two-phased elections.

 “There are 58,000 booths and as many number of police personnel. How will it be possible to man the elections in the backdrop of violence that has been witnessed during the filing of nominations,” asked an official refusing to share his name.

While the Congress and the Left leadership maintained a studied silence on the issue, the BJP leaders spoke out questioning the basis of the demand. “Do the Government offices, educational institutions and other institutions remain closed during Ramadan? If not then where is the basis of this unreasonable demand?” asked a senior State BJP leader adding the party would wait for the SEC’s decision before taking any action “considering the fact that the High Court has already directed the SEC to ensure violence-free polls and brief the Bench of Chief Justice about availability of police force and their posting.”

Meanwhile, the State BJP leadership on Wednesday started for Delhi along with a number of partymen who were injured in the attacks by Trinamool Congress cadres during filing of nominations on Monday. The group of injured party men started for Delhi led party leader Biswaroop Chowdhury.

The injured workers will be paraded before President Ramnath Kovind for his appraisal of the burning situation in Bengal, party sources said adding they would also be taken to BJP president Amit Shah.