With the Assembly polls inching closer, the demand for creating a Deoband district is gaining momentum.
Deoband is a sub-division of Saharanpur district and houses the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom. The demand has the backing of Chancellor of the Islamic seminary, Maulana Abul Kasim Nomani.
Presently, a local SP leader Rao Musharraf Ali is spearheading the struggle and launched a `padyatra’ from Deoband to lucknow which is likely to reach the state capital in the first week of June. The padyatra was flagged off by Congress MlA Mavia Ali along with former Chairman of Deoband Nagar Palika, Haseeb Siddiqui on May 21.
"Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav must honour the promise of providing 18 percent reservation to Muslims ahead of the 2012 Assembly polls, construction of a cricket stadium and a Haj House in Deoband,’’ said Ali.
The SP leader further claimed that the SP had promised to carve out Deoband as district from Saharanpur in 2012. "I am going to lucknow to remind the CM about the promises he had made,’’ said he.
"Creating Deoband as a district is a long standing demand. It has the support of all political parties. Even the previous BSP government had made a similar promise in this regard but never actualise. The present CM must grab the chance before the polls and cheer up the local people,’’ said Congress MlA of Deoband, Mavia Ali.