Not just Narendra Modi, Maulvis now against Rahul Gandhi and Congress on the Waqf land issue
By Rohini Singh, ET Bureau | 9 Sep, 2013, 05.00AM IST
Rahul Gandhi or his key aides did not respond to questions from ET.NEW DELHI: Think UP politics, think the importance of Muslim vote for Congress (18 per cent-plus of the state's electorate) in an election where Narendra Modi is BJP's poll mascot, and now think of the potential political consequences of a hugely influential UP Muslim cleric promising this: "We will campaign against Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders and explain why Muslimsshouldn't vote for them." That was MaulanaSyed Kalbe Jawad, who leads the Friday prayers at the Shahi Asafi mosque in Lucknow's Imambada and who once mobilised over a million people in a protest against the US and Israel.
Worse, for Congress, he comes from Jais district in Amethi, Rahul Gandhi's constituency. Amethi's Muslim population is around 20 per cent. Rahul Gandhi's victory margin in the lastLok Sabha elections was around 3 lakh; no party had put up a significant candidate against him. Maulana Jawad promises to begin his campaign from September 16.
"Kalbe Jawad is a mass leader. You can ignore him during peace time but not during a time of war. The timing of this agitation is significant given that it's coming six months before general elections," said Saeed Naqvi, commentator and a close observer of Muslim politics. Jawad and several other influential Muslim clerics, some of whom come from other politically crucial states like Bihar and Maharashtra, ET spoke to are all agitated over what they say is the Congress leadership's insufficient efforts at addressing both general complaints about alleged grabbing of Waqf land and the "inadequate" new Waqf law, as well as a specific grievance relating to two plots in Delhi.
The two plots in Delhi, Muslim leaders say, housed a Sunni mosque and a Shia shrine. ET had earlier reported — on August 27 — on Muslim leaders' disaffection on this issue and their negotiations with Congress leaders. "Congress hasn't kept any of its promises," Maulana Jawad told ET. "They can't take us for granted," said Maulana Hafiz Nadeem Siddiqui, a powerful Muslim cleric heading Jamiat Ulema E Hind in Maharashtra. "Congress (in Maharashtra) is involved in 80 per cent of Waqf property destruction," he said.
Rahul Gandhi or his key aides did not respond to questions from ET. Senior Congress leaders like Salman Khurshid said while they acknowledge there are grievances, they do not see how agitating against Congress will help the Muslim cause. "Will an NDA government be more helpful? Has the Samajwadi Party helped Muslims secure substantive gains?" asked Khurshid.
Rahman Khan, UPA-2's minority affairs minister, said while he respects the clerics' views, "everything they say cannot become the norm".
Worse, for Congress, he comes from Jais district in Amethi, Rahul Gandhi's constituency. Amethi's Muslim population is around 20 per cent. Rahul Gandhi's victory margin in the lastLok Sabha elections was around 3 lakh; no party had put up a significant candidate against him. Maulana Jawad promises to begin his campaign from September 16.
"Kalbe Jawad is a mass leader. You can ignore him during peace time but not during a time of war. The timing of this agitation is significant given that it's coming six months before general elections," said Saeed Naqvi, commentator and a close observer of Muslim politics. Jawad and several other influential Muslim clerics, some of whom come from other politically crucial states like Bihar and Maharashtra, ET spoke to are all agitated over what they say is the Congress leadership's insufficient efforts at addressing both general complaints about alleged grabbing of Waqf land and the "inadequate" new Waqf law, as well as a specific grievance relating to two plots in Delhi.
The two plots in Delhi, Muslim leaders say, housed a Sunni mosque and a Shia shrine. ET had earlier reported — on August 27 — on Muslim leaders' disaffection on this issue and their negotiations with Congress leaders. "Congress hasn't kept any of its promises," Maulana Jawad told ET. "They can't take us for granted," said Maulana Hafiz Nadeem Siddiqui, a powerful Muslim cleric heading Jamiat Ulema E Hind in Maharashtra. "Congress (in Maharashtra) is involved in 80 per cent of Waqf property destruction," he said.
Rahul Gandhi or his key aides did not respond to questions from ET. Senior Congress leaders like Salman Khurshid said while they acknowledge there are grievances, they do not see how agitating against Congress will help the Muslim cause. "Will an NDA government be more helpful? Has the Samajwadi Party helped Muslims secure substantive gains?" asked Khurshid.
Rahman Khan, UPA-2's minority affairs minister, said while he respects the clerics' views, "everything they say cannot become the norm".
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