Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari backs Congress, says SP, BSP untrustworthy

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 05 April 2014 | 22.10

NEW DELHI: Congress's bid to secure the support of Delhi's Jama Masjid as part of its quest to sew up Muslim support succeeded on Friday with Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari endorsing the party as the community's electoral choice.

Bukhari has played a political role in the past, offering support to Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party but on Friday he firmly backed Congress and left the two Uttar Pradesh parties fuming by terming them as untrustworthy.

The imam, however, said he would like Muslims to support Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress in West Bengal on the grounds that she had promised not to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

While Bukhari's actual influence has been doubted, his equity rose sharply with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi meeting him to personally seek his support while appealing that "secular" vote must not be divided.

Bukhari's meeting with Sonia underscored the competition Congress is facing in a tough election from rivals for the Muslim vote not only from older rivals like BSP and SP but also the newly minted Aam Aadmi Party.

The Shahi Imam's backing came as a relief to Congress and discomfited AAP who Bukhari accused of being a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh-backed outfit. He said the same had been the case with Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption.

Congress is having to work hard convincing the Muslim vote that it remains the best option to prevent BJP leader Narendra Modi from becoming prime minister and the imam's backing will help it argue the point.

Congress managers have been worried that after the party's comprehensive defeats in four major states last year, the minority vote had begun to eye other options - like AAP in Delhi - as more viable.

Even now there is no surety that the Muslim vote will consolidate behind Congress as it is seen to be losing clout with other sections and communities. If the perception that Congress is failing gains ground, minorities are also likely to continue to shop for other choices.

Interestingly, Bukhari framed his appeal in favour of the Congress, describing its as the "least bad" party. His younger brother Yahya Bukhari, however, has opposed the move and is likely to address the media on Saturday.

"There have been shortcomings in 10 years of Congress-led UPA government's performance and its promise to provide better avenues for education and employment to the minority community. But that's not the key issue here. The country faces threat from communal forces and it is important to vote in unison to stop communal forces, read BJP, from taking over the reins of power," the Shahi Imam said.

He ran down SP and BSP saying, "In previous assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, we extended support to Mulayam Singh Yadav. Not to speak of the promises made, this government, in a short period of two years, played a leading role in the destruction of lives and properties of Muslims in more than 100 riots."

In Bengal, the Muslim cleric said people should vote for Mamata as she had pledged to keep her distance from BJP. "If we had our own party, we would not have been in such a bad situation. Other communities like Akali and Yadavs have their own parties," he added, reiterating an old lament.

Bukhari said AAP too was communal. "The India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, from where this party started, was masterminded by RSS. They are supporting this party to divide secular forces. Muslims need not get fooled by them," he said.

When TOI spoke to some Muslims who had come for the Friday namaz, reactions to the imam's appeal varied. "Muslims do not vote in hordes anymore. They are educated and aware enough to decide their political allegiance. Clerics should continue to lead prayers rather than teaching politics," said Noor Mohammad, a resident of Moti Nagar.

Meanwhile, BJP has asked the Election Commission to take cognizance of Bukhari's appeal to Muslims to support Congress in the polls and accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi of 'communalizing the whole election'.

"The Election Commission must take note of this rant communal appeal," said Ravi Shankar Prasad, senior BJP leader. He added 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.


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