MIM stops Saffron chariot in Aurangabad with Dalit support, Sena fumes…!!!

Mumbai: Apparently disturbed by the spectacular performance of Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in the Aurangabad civic polls, the Shiv Sena said on Friday it does not augur well for communal amity in Maharashtra.

MIM Aurangabad

“It’s a matter of concern how the AIMIM has got strength from Muslim localities in Sambhajinagar where the Owaisi brothers had challenged to uproot the saffron flag and plant their green flag,” the Shiv Sena said.
Shiv Sena calls Aurangabad as ‘Sambhajinagar’ and also been demanding it should be renamed after the great Maratha king instead of the Mughal emperor.

Ruing how some Dalit and non-Muslim candidates have also won on AIMIM tickets, the Sena accused the party of “playing dirty politics to divide the Dalit-Hindu votes”, in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana.

“If the party, which was formed for the interests of only Muslim community, continues to get such support even from the Dalits, it’s alarm time for not only social unity but also the Ambedkar movement,” the edit warned.
Pointing out that in the last (October 2014) assembly elections, the AIMIM’s leads in 50 civic wards (of total 113) of Aurangabad had emboldened it to dream of capturing the civic body in the Wedneday polls.

“Though that dream failed to materialise, the very fact that 26 candidates of the ‘poisonous party’ have been elected to the civic body is definitely not a good sign…it was like a ‘crusade’ (religious war) in Sambhajinagar which the Shiv Sena has won and in which the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party were blown away like dried leaves,” the Sena said.
However, despite the ‘saffron victory’ in Aurangabad, the Shiv Sena feels the ‘green upsurge’ spells danger since a communal party like AIMIM is “unifying Muslim votes under an Islamic banner”.

“Now, the Hindus must open their eyes to the poll results and unite against it by discarding their own differences; This is the clear lesson from the Aurangabad civic elections,” the Sena urged.
The edit followed the AIMIM’s stunning performance in the April 22 Aurangabad civic elections in which Sena secured 28 seats, the AIMIM stood second with 26 seats, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came third with 24 seats in the 113-member house.
The Congress bagged only 11 seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) came home with two seats, and smaller parties and independents captured 23 seats, with AIMIM poised to become the main opposition party in the city renowned for its world-famous Ajanta-Ellora cave temples.
Though the Sena-BJP alliance secured control by bagging a total 52 seats, it still falls short of a simple majority of 57, necessitating the support of rebels and independents.
The AIMIM made a soft entry in Maharashtra in 2012 bagging 11 seats in the 81-member Nanded Municipal Corporation elections that year.
Progressing steadily, it is now preparing for the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections due early-2017, and other important civic bodies like Pune and Thane.

MIM’s victory to echo beyond Maha…!!!

The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) fought a high-octane Aurangabad Municipal election and with vigour that is not generally associated with civic polls. The party entered the fray against the backdrop of a defeat of its Bandra East Raja Rahbar candidate in a by-election where he received only about 15,000 votes, around 8,000 less than his tally in the previous contest. It was observed that the Muslims in Bandra had largely voted for the Congress candidate Narayan Rane, who lost to BJP.

It was primarily on account of this result, that it was construed that the performance of the MIM in Aurangabad would be less than what the party has been expecting. But the MIM sprung a surprise and won 25 of the 53 seats it contested and became the second largest party after the Shiv Sena with 29 seats. The BJP had to be content with 22 seats in the AMC which had a total strength of 113.
The results go out to prove several points. One, that the MIM’s winning two seats in the Maharashtra assembly elections—one from Aurangabad Central and another from Byculla – was not a flash in the pan phenomenon. There was a craving for a new party then and it continues to exist. Two, it has bigger plans for Mumbai and Bengaluru municipal elections and the assembly polls in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Three, the MIM has improved its relations with the Dalits in Maharashtra. Of the 53 wards it contested, the MIM gave tickets to 13 non-Muslims – 12 Dalits and one BC. Of these, four Dalits and a BC have emerged victorious.

The slogan that Jai Meem(Muslims); Jai Bheem (Ambedkar) appears to be gaining strength.
The possibilities of Aurangabad being ready for the MIM became clear to the leadership in Hyderabad with the results of the recent assembly elections. From Aurangabad the party had fielded three members in the assembly elections of which only one — Imtiaz Jaleel — romped home from Aurangabad Central. The other two lost but won considerable votes. The number of votes Jaleel received was 61,843; in Aurangabad East Dr Abdul Ghaffar Quadri scored 60,268, taking up party position to two in the assembly segment where the BJP had won. The MIM supported candidate of Republican Panther Party Gangadhar Sukhdev Gaade could manage in Aurangabad West 35,348 votes where Shiv Sena won and BJP stood second. The MIM had secured third position. The total votes the MIM had garnered in Aurangabad were thus 1,57,459.

With this figure in mind the MIM sent Nampally legislator Jafar Hussain Meraj to consolidate the party’s position by launching a membership drive and also through other means. Aurangabad Central MLA Imtiaz Jaleel and Aurangabad unit president Javed Quraishi were asked to support Meraj. When the civic polls were announced, the craving for party tickets was so great that it had to struggle to choose the right candidate for the right ward. Over 530 candidates had approached for 53 seats. Though a four-member local committee had been formed to decide on the candidates, serious fights broke out among the potential contestants and their supporters. At the end, at least five candidates who were denied ticket decided to fight independently. All of them have won.

What is working in favour of the MIM are two things. Chief among them is the failure of the secular parties, both the Congress and the NCP, to rise to the expectations of Muslims in times of need. Since there was no alternative, the Muslims were sailing with them. Now that MIM has emerged as an alternative force, they have decided to throw their weight behind it.
According to an observer in Aurangabad, the Muslims or Dalits do not believe that all their woes could be solved by the MIM. But they are looking at MIM as a party that would voice their grievances and desperations and strive to correct the situation.

Another observer said that the impressive victory of the MIM would give more confidence to its leadership to enter the poll frays elsewhere, especially in Bengaluru, UP and West Bengal.

There is also a word of caution. The civic polls should not be taken as an indication that MIM has come of age and could plunge into any political situation head on.
The MIM’s performance in Aurangabad would definitely help it in Maharashtra. But it could be seen as a party expressing the aspirations of Muslims and other marginalized sections only when it shows its strength in UP or West Bengal.

AIMIM lodges police complaint against article and picture of Prophet Mohammad…!!!

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad police against the alleged “pictorial depiction” of Prophet Mohammed in a Telugu daily and sought registration of a criminal case, the party officially announced in Hyderabad on Friday.
According to a press release issued here by the AIMIM, in a complaint addressed to Hyderabad Police Commissioner, the party alleged that the Telangana edition of the Telugu daily dated May 1, published from Hyderabad, prominently carried an article on page 12 entitled ‘Mahopakari Mohammed Pravakta’.

Allegedly, the article also carried a “pictorial representation” of Prophet Mohammed, the AIMIM release said, adding, pictorial representation is strictly taboo in Islam and any such imaginary hurt religious sentiments and feelings of the entire Muslim community.
The AIMIM release alleged that publication of Prophet Mohammed;s pictorial representation is a blatant attempt by publishers of the Telugu daily to hurt the religious sentiments and sensibilities of Muslims by causing them untold mental agony, at a time when Telangana state’s law and order situation is peaceful.
The release said AIMIM’s Charminar MLA Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri and other party leaders handed over a copy of their complaint to Additional Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Anjani Kumar seeking necessary action.

The AIMIM requested that the Station House Officer of the Central Crime Station (CCS) or concerned police station to immediately register an FIR and case against publishers and editors of the Telugu daily, besides the writer of the article under Section 153 A and 295 A of the Indian Penal Code and investigate the matter, the release said.

The AIMIM also requested steps to restrict circulation of the article through the social media or other online media by unsocial elements who might want to disturb peace and communal harmony in Telangana state and Hyderabad, the release said. Police said they have recieved the complaint and are looking into the matter.

AIMIM Will Contest B’luru Corpn Elections: Owaisi

MYSURU:All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that his party would field candidates in the upcoming elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The Hyderabad-based party had performed well in the elections to the Aurangabad
Municipal Corporation held recently. Owaisi, who is on a private visit to the city, hit out at the Congress and the state government for imposing a ban on his entry to Bengaluru city.
The emergence of AIMIM in Maharashtra has started to haunt the Congress, Owaisi said and added that the party (Congress) had not learnt a lesson from the poll debacle in Maharashtra. He ruled out talks on entering into an alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) in the state.

“Will it not divide the secular vote with other parties also targeting Muslims and
dalits votes? Why should they (Congress) blame the minorities for the BJP winning 282 seats in the Lok Sabha… Where has the Vokkaliga, Lingayat, Maratha, Kamma and Reddy votes gone?” he asked.
Bengaluru is not anyone’s “personal property”, he said and added that freedom of expression was his right. “No chief minister can not stop me from talking to people,” he added. In an interaction with media persons, he said that Muslims and dalits face common issues like poverty, high rate of school dropouts, less graduates and social discrimination.

Owaisi said that there was no law and order problem after he addressed a meeting at Bhatkal. Owaisi said that he has appealed in the High Court against the ban order.
“I can speak in the Indian Parliament, but not on the streets of Bengaluru… they are afraid of me,” he added. “If they (Congress) have done so much (for dailts and Muslims), why is that in 2009 and 2014 elections not even a single Muslim was elected to the Parliament from Karnataka…How many Muslim MLAs are there in the Assembly…?” he asked. He charged that the governments have failed to develop areas with a large Muslim population in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region like Kalaburagi, Bidar and other places.
Talking about the recent acquittal of 17 youths by a Hubballi court, he said, “Let the government suspend those police officers who falsely implicated 17 Muslim youths for allegedly having terror links. Can the government suspend (the police) for destroying the lives of these boys?” he asked.

MIM Will Contest BBMP Polls: Owaisi…!!!

MYSURU:All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that his party would field candidates in the upcoming elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The Hyderabad-based party had performed well in the elections to the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation held recently.
Owaisi, who is on a private visit to the city, hit out at the Congress and the state government for imposing a ban on his entry to Bengaluru city.

The emergence of AIMIM in Maharashtra has started to haunt the Congress, Owaisi said and added that the party (Congress) had not learnt a lesson from the poll debacle in Maharashtra.
He ruled out talks on entering into an alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) in the state.

“Will it not divide the secular vote with other parties also targeting Muslims and dalits votes? Why should they (Congress) blame the minorities for the BJP winning 282 seats in the Lok Sabha… Where has the Vokkaliga, Lingayat, Maratha, Kamma and Reddy votes gone?” he asked.
Bengaluru city is not anyone’s “personal property”, he said and added that freedom of expression was his right. “No chief minister can not stop me from talking to people,” he added.
In an interaction with media persons, he said that Muslims and dalits face common issues like poverty, high rate of school dropouts, less graduates and social discrimination.

Owaisi said that there was no law and order problem after he addressed a meeting near Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district.
Owaisi said that he has appealed in the High Court against the ban order.

“I can speak in the Indian Parliament, but not on the streets of Bengaluru… they are afraid of me,” the MP added.
“If they (Congress) have done so much (for dailts and Muslims), why is that in 2009 and 2014 elections not even a single Muslim was elected to the Parliament from Karnataka…How many Muslim MLAs are there in the Assembly…?” he asked.
He charged that successive state governments have failed to develop areas with a large Muslim population in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region of the state like Kalaburagi, Bidar and other places.
Talking about the recent acquittal of 17 youths by a Hubballi court, he said, “Let the government suspend those police officers who falsely implicated 17 Muslim youths for allegedly having terror links. Can the government suspend (the police) for destroying the lives of these boys?” Owaisi asked.

Asaduddin Owaisi questions Bharat Ratna to Atal Bihari Vajpayee…!!!

NEW DELHI: Not new to stoking controversies, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief, Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday questioned the Narendra Modi-led government’s decision to confer on Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, alleging that the BJP’s most acceptable face had a role in Babri Masjid demolition.

Vajpayee was conferred on Bharat Ratna on March 27 this year when President Pranab Mukherjee went to the ailing former Prime Minister’s residence.
Owaisi also questioned the logic of conferring Padma Vibhushan to the BJP patriarch LK Advani.
With its electoral curve showing an upward trend in Maharashtra, AIMIM is now focusing on Uttar Pradesh in an apparent move to make inroads into the support base of Samajwadi Party and BSP.

“We are going to contest assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh,” AIMIM chief said couple of days ago.
Elections in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled in early 2017. The Lok Sabha MP told PTI it was “too early” to say whether AIMIM would align with any other party in Uttar Pradesh.
He said his party has not taken any decision on the issue of contesting Assembly polls in Bihar scheduled later this year and in West Bengal next year, both the states with sizeable Muslim voters.

Till BJP’s emergence in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, politics in Uttar Pradesh has been dominated by the SP and the BSP for the past decade.

Junaid's Editing