The Muslim Congress corporators in the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) do not support their leader in the State Capital’s civic body on the issue of chanting of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan before the commencement of Corporation meetings. They have also decided to move party High Command demanding action against him.
Notably, leader of Congress Corporators group in the BMC Mohammed Sagheer moments before the general council meet of the Corporation on Saturday proposed that every meeting of the Corporation should begin with the chanting of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ that was readily accepted by the treasury benches.
However, the Corporators of his own party do not agree with the leader of opposition’s proposal and while terming it as his personal opinion said that it has nothing to do with the party and other members of the Congress Corporators group in the BMC.
Senior Congress Corporator Abdul Shafique representing ward number 14 in the BMC while talking to The Pioneer over the issue said, “No proposal for chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ was brought by the Congress in the general council meet held on Saturday. It was personal view of Sagheer and the party has nothing to do with that. Moreover, chanting of this slogan is not a new practice as it is old practice to start every meeting of the Corporation with it. The only thing is that the leader of opposition in order to garner media limelight delivered this statement.”
Syed Shahid Ali, a former Corporator of ward 9 and husband of sitting Corporator from the same ward Shabana Shahid Ali said, “The move of leader of opposition was not that of party, it was his personal view and not a single Congress member was taken into confidence before that. India lives in our heart and we need not to prove it by chanting slogans or doing something else.”
Shawar Mansuri representing ward number 19 in BMC said, “I am opposed to the proposal of Sagheer, it was his personal view as he never consulted us over it and we are going to take the issue with the Congress leadership of the state. We would demand action against him.”
District president of Congress PC Sharma told that Congress believes in the definition of Bharat Mata derived by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. However, he claimed that he was unaware of the statement of Sagheer.