Two odd Muslimsboth belonging to the town which suffered serial bomb blast twice are touring Maharashtra to ensure that his community vote for BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP).
There is nothing unusual to see crowd gathering to see NarendraModi in his rallies but it is not a normal sight to see Muslims campaigning for him to garner support for a leader of saffron outfit.
Two odd Muslims, Haji Bilal Shaikh and poet AneesAnjum both belonging to Malegaon areas in Nashik district are touring Maharashtra to ensure that their community vote for BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP), so that its Prime Ministerial candidate NarendraModi should reach the power of corridor. AneesAnjum, anurduadeeb poet start his talk with:
Mitti se kabhi apni bagawat nahi karte,
Shoharat keliye gandi siyasat nahi karte,
Sarkari mohafiz ki zarurat nahi kyuki,
Kutte kabhi shero ki hifazat nahi karte.
On Modi, as a PM prospected he says, “Kadamkadampeujaleutarkaraayenge, Terenasib me tare utarkaraayenge, Sahara bankarniklahaitubesaharonka, Teri madadkofarishteutarkaraayenge.
Haji Bilal Shaikh, who is also from Malegaon and supporting Modi said, ““There is no harm in trying BJP once. We should deliberate on a development agenda for the community while bargaining for support. No personal interest should be there, which is a practice. He has developed Gujarat and he has capacity to develop the nation. We trusted Congress for 60 years, we should also see him. Congress has betrayed our community.”
When asked about Gujarat riots and Modi’s role, he said “Gujarat riots is ‘beshak’ a blot on nation’s secularism and democracy, but he has now developed Gujarat and has erased that blot .”
Both Bilal Shaikh and AneesAnjum are ensuring that they visit and campaign from every constituency of Maharashtra from where BJP candidates are contesting. They even want to go to Varanasi to campaign for Modi. “If we will get the chance, we definitely go to Varanasi to campaign for him,” both cited simultaneously.
Shaikh further said, “He is asking for 60 months and we should provide him that. If he also betrays us then after five years, we have a powerful ‘hathyar’ of voting him out in the next general elections.
There have always been attempts to create Muslim parties in India but they have all failed as Indian Muslims continue to vote and affirm their faith in secular parties.
“After Modi comes to power, he should sit with Muslim representatives and talk to them on the issue,” Shaikh added.
In spite of having a sizeable number of Muslim population in large number of districts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, where a pan India Muslim party can easily win at least 40 to 50 seats, Muslims have reiterated their support for secular Indian parties.
They are not only Muslims supporting BJP. A Deoband-based cleric MaulanaSuhaibQasmi has announced his support for BJP prime ministerial NarendraModi in the LokSabha elections. The decision has created a stir in the area with some sporadic protests by local clerics.
Qasmi ruled out the stigma of Gujarat riots on Modi, claiming the court has given him a clean chit. “Then why do we support Congress, which is also responsible for several riots? Supporting Mulayam Singh and Mayawati is indirectly supporting Congress. So better go with the BJP with your set of conditions,” he stated.
“I have studied at DarulUloomDeoband and have connections. People are coming out in my support. Muslims also want change and are craving for development,” he said.
Mumbai has 17 lakh voters, the distribution ranging between 2 lakh and 4.5 lakh per seat. Munaff Hakim, state Minorities Welfare Board chairman, says, “I believe Muslims will consolidate and more than 90 per cent will come out and vote. The population of Muslims in Mumbai in these six constituencies vary between 10 and 15 per cent. The highest Muslim concentration is in Mumbai North Central and Mumbai South Central, the lowest in Mumbai North.”
