Driven by revenge, this 62-year-old Mohd Zamir Alam Salahai is in fray. He wants to cleanse the stigma his family had suffered after his nephew Khalid Mujahid, who was accused of his involvement in terror act, died in police custody in 2013.
“Khalid was an innocent child. He was nowhere involved in terror acts. Police wanted him to confess the crime which he had never committed. He was beaten up and when he could not take any more beating he died in police custordy. After his death people still treat us as family member of a terrorist. We want to get rid of this stigma,” Zamir Alam said in a chocked voice.
Zamir is contesting as a candidate of the Welfare Party India from Jaunpur Sadar constituency in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. This constituency is represented by mafia-don-turned-politician Dhananjay Singh of the BSP who is incarcerated in Tihar jail in maid-bashing case.
“For me the election is to cleanse the stigma that the family had suffered after Khalid was accused of his alleged involvement in terror acts,” Zamir Alam said.The police had accused Khalid in the serial blast cases in courts of lucknow and Faizabad, on November 23, 2007. Khalid, however, died when he was being transported to lucknow jail on the way in Barabanki on May 18, 2013.
At least 121 dharnas and protests were organised after Khalid’s death. The protesters demanded a CBI probe but the State Government opted for a CB-CID probe. later the police registered a case in this connection in which top cops including then then Director General of Police Brij lal was also was named.
The State Government then formed Justice RD Nimesh Commission headed by Justice RD Nimesh to probe the issue. The report of the commission has been submitted but the State Government is yet to take action.
“Khalid could not get justice in his lifetime. I am in the fray to highlight the apathy we suffered and to demand justice for Khalid,” Zamir Alam said. “ I would advocate for freedom for the likes of Khalid irrespective of innocents’ religion,” he said.
Salahi rued that neither Samajwadi Party nor the Bahujan Samaj Party backed his cause when he raised the issue requesting help from the leaders of both the parties. “Khalid’s death shook us so badly that we thought that we should need a platform to raise our voice against criminality and injustice. On being elected as MP I will have the right to raise the concerns of innocents at a big platform,” he said.
About the response of the public from his constituency, he said he was getting a warm response from the residents of Jaunpur Sadar.
“But I will not confine myself to Khalid’s issue only. I will also raise other local issues like health facilities, employment and education to the youths who had huge vote count in the parliamentary constituency,” he said.
Salahi raised other issues which were ignored by politicians as of now. “The condition of bidi workers, who count a great chunk, is very pathetic.
The area is famous hub of bidi workers but the workers never got their share of right despite pleading their cases for a long period of time. The State Government is seldom concerned about their health issue, minimum wage packages, health and education of their children and the families and a housing scheme for them. The area is sans electricity and securing fresh water is still very important work in their daily chores.
“The roads are full of potholes causing to abrupt snap of the connectivity of Jaunpur to other districts like Varanasi, Allahabad etc. This had resulted into trade and other business opportunities to wither down. The Jaunpur is most known as area of muscle man and it remained fiefdom of mafia turned politicians over the years,”’ Salahi pointed out.
Salahi said he would demand support of the Yadav, Brahmans and SC/ST community. “We elected then on previous occasions. They strode to power by our votes. This time I am expecting their support,” he said.