The failure of non-BJP parties to field even a single Muslim candidate in the just-concluded elections to the Rajya Sabha, has miffed the community. The BJP had retained both its Muslim faces — Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and MJ Akbar — but the “so-called” secular parties — including the Congress, the JD(U), the RJD, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP — completely ignored the minority community.
At least three Muslims MPs — Mohsina Kidwai (Cong), Salim Ansari (BSP) and Ghulam Rasool Balliavi (JD-U) — had retired, but none of them were retained. This development has caused a strong sense of resentment among the opinion makers of the community. Influential Muslim clerics, like head of the Phulwarisharif-based Imarat Shariah Maulana Wali Rahmani, have openly criticised these parties.
In the past, in all the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar, the JD(U) would make it a point to accommodate at least one Muslim in its list, but not this time. The party even dropped Maulana Balliavi, who had a stint of only two years in the Rajya Sabha.
“The Muslims are feeling cheated. If a similar situation prevails and secular parties continue thinking that they can take votes of Muslims for granted, then they live in fools’ paradise. Muslims are seriously considering an alternative to these so-called secular parties and may even tilt towards the BJP,” said Mufti Zubair, the Qazi of Purnia Commissionary. Purnia and its adjoining districts like Kishanganj, Araria and Katihar have a number of Muslim-dominated constituencies.
Ali Hasan Rizvi, Imam of a mosque in Patna, feels that the way Muslims backed the “secular parties” in the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections, made these parties think that members of the minority community have no other option but to support them.
“These parties must remember that Muslims dumped the Congress in the wink of an eye after Bhagalpur riots in 1989. If anyone thinks that Muslims are their bonded labourers and will not go away because of the fear of the BJP, they should rethink,” said Faiz Alam Munna, a social activist of Katihar.
The omission of Maulana Balliavi, also a religious figure representing a Bihar-based seminary, shocked his supporters. They said he raised a number of issues related to the Muslims and put the Government on the mat in the Upper House, but instead of being praised he was punished.
“We are not scared of the BJP. During two years of Narendra Modi regime, there has been no communal riot. Even if any riot took place, it happened in a State ruled by non-NDA parties,” said Dr Zakir Hussain of Gaya.
The secular parties, added Qamar Raza of Madhubani, want to keep Muslim society frightened by making them scared of communal forces. “This trick is no longer going to work,” he claimed.
Maulana Balliavi, who has been accommodated in the legislative Council by the JD(U), refused to comment over the uneasiness in the community over denial of ticket to a single Muslim by any secular party. Sources close to him, however, claimed that he was anything but happy and might take some big step to show his displeasure.