The call by Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari on Friday to Muslims to vote for the Congress at the national level and the TMC and the RJD in West Bengal and Bihar respectively has created a major political uproar with the BJP asking the Election Commission to take note of attempts to polarise the voters on communal lines.
In a clear attempt to help the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 lok Sabha seats, Bukhari criticised its rivals the Samajwadi Party and the BSP for allegedly letting
down Muslims and being open to strike deal with the NDA post-elections.
Terming communalism a bigger threat than corruption and inflation, the Imam appealed minorities to ‘strengthen’ secular forces in the lok Sabha elections. Bukahri’s call to Muslims to vote for the Congress across the country came days after his controversial meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Asserting that the country faced threats from communal forces, Bukhari asked the Muslim community to vote for the TMC and the RJD in West Bengal and Bihar respectively, and rooted for the Congress elsewhere. Admitting that the Congress has failed to address issues related to Muslims, he, however, asserted that need of the hour was to keep the things at bay at this juncture and ‘favour’ the Congress to defeat communal alliance.
“Occasionally, critical and trying moments come in the lives of nation and countries when taking a decision is the most intricate task and where a moment’s mistake could make nation suffer for centuries. Our country faces somewhat similar situation today in the wake of general elections… If we want to hand down a safe future to next generation and to protect Muslims, we must create an atmosphere is support of parties like Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) and those who could protect our interests,” said Bukhari in a Press conference on Friday.
Bukhari sought to justify the move saying the decision was taken after discussion with ‘like-minded’ parties.
He said that he had appealed people to vote for the SP in the last UP Assembly elections as Mulayam Singh Yadav had promised to work for the development of the community, but the UP Government has failed completely.
More than 100 incidents of communal riots have taken places in two years of the SP Government in which hundreds of Muslims were killed but no step was taken either to avert clashes or save people. The flip flop of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is also pointing a fingers at their commitment to stop the NDA and the recent developments are indicating that the party may change its stand in near future.
While the Congress downplayed support extended to it by the Shahi Imam, the BJP asked the EC to take cognizance of his appeal to Muslims to support Congress in the lok Sabha polls. The party also accused Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi of “communalising the whole election”.
“We condemn Imam Bukhari’s statement. This Government is desperate. They know they are going to lose heavily. Therefore, Sonia and Rahul are trying to communalise the whole election. They have failed so Imam Bukhari has come to the front,” said BJP’s chief media coordinator Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Prasad said Congress leaders were seeking support of the people like Bukhari as they failed in all fronts. “The Election Commission must take note of this rant communal appeal,” he said but noted that Bukhari’s statement will fail to influence the people because they are more concerned about burning issues like price rise, unemployment and sense of insecurity.
Castigating Bukhari’s stand, former SP leader Shahid Siddiqui said that Muslims will not listen to the Imam as they are aware of the fact that the Congress was responsible for their plight.
The Congress downplayed the issue, saying the party never appeals to people to vote on religious lines. “Congress’ stand on minorities remains what it was before the meeting (with the Shahi Imam). Minorities require to be part of the democratic process... They should also share the fruits of development. The Sachar committee and the Minority Affairs Ministry were set up with that in mind,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
He said, “Unlike Narendra Modi and BJP, Congress never appeals to people to vote on religious lines.”
Surjewala said besides Gandhi, the Imam had met leaders of various other political parties. The spokesperson said the party always welcomes people who believe in secularism and propagate the ideas of pluralism, tolerance and brotherhood.
A party leader, who declined to be identified, said the Shahi Imam had supported the BJP ahead of the 2004 elections. “He has even supported our rival Trinamool Congress,” the leader said.