‘Abba jaan’ Taliban take centre stage in UP politics

Taliban was added to the narrative after Samajwadi MP Shafiqur-Rehman Barq termed Taliban as ‘freedom fighters’.

Lucknow: As the countdown to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due early next year begins, issues like governance and development are expectedly taking a back seat and it is ‘Abba Jaan’ and Taliban that are emerging as the latest poll narrative in Uttar Pradesh.

State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that prior to 2017, “those who say ‘Abba Jaan’ used to devour the free ration sent for the poor and cornered government jobs meant for the poor by indulging in corruption.”

The speech had the desired impact and non-BJP political parties promptly objected to the use of ‘Abba Jaan’ — an endearment for father — for political gains.

Though the chief minister did not name any particular party, it was clear that he was referring to the Samajwadi Party since he had earlier referred to Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav as ‘Abba Jaan’ in a TV programme.

The chief minister also said that leaders like Akhilesh Yadav earlier did not visit temples for the fear of offending their Muslim vote-bank

Taliban was added to the narrative after Samajwadi MP Shafiqur-Rehman Barq termed Taliban as ‘freedom fighters’.

The BJP leaders have been referring to his remarks to consolidate its Hindu vote bank and are using Taliban to underline the SP’s affinity for ‘Abba Jaan’ (read Muslim).

The result of this developing situation is that key issues like development have been put on the backburner and almost all political leaders are now bending backwards to establish their Hindu credentials-much to the glee of the BJP leaders.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Satish Mishra was the first one to visit Ayodhya and claim that the grand temple would be completed in the Mayawati regime.

When Mayawati addressed her party meeting in Lucknow recently, she was greeted with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ — something unheard of in BSP till now. She was even presented with a ‘trishul’ on stage.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, on Monday, offered prayers at various temples in Ayodhya while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited a Hanuman temple in Rae Bareli during her recent visit.

“We have forced these leaders to rush to temples. It was the Congress that had rejected the existence of Lord Ram. The SP had fired at Ram Sewaks. Why are they now trying to project a Hindu-friendly image?” said state BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh.

The BJP is clearly setting the tone for the next elections using the issue of national security on the Taliban issue and putting non-BJP parties in the dock over the Muslim appeasement.

The content being shared on on party-run social media handles and groups on WhatsApp, show that around one-fourth of the posts in the last two weeks were Taliban related referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “strong personality” and projecting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a strong Hindutva brand against these forces.

“It is unfortunate that the BJP is trying to veer the election narrative on communal lines. We have to stand up against it or else they will succeed in their designs. The BJP does not want people to talk about unemployment, inflation and Covid mismanagement,” said Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam.

On the other hand, SP spokesperson Juhie Singh said that the BJP had always diverted the attention of the people from the core issues of the state. The situation during Covid-19, inflation, unemployment, and social injustice have never been the party’s priority, she said.

Courtesy: Siasat

Now proposal to rename Aligarh as Harigarh

Earlier this month, the Firozabad district panchayat had passed a resolution demanding that Firozabad be renamed as Chandra Nagar.

Aligarh (UP):  After Firozabad, it is now the zila panchayat of Aligarh that has passed a resolution seeking to rename Aligarh as Harigarh.

The resolution was passed on Monday and the members claimed that it was a long pending demand.

The proposal was passed in the first meeting of the panchayat without any opposition with 50 out of 72 members in attendance.

Vijay Singh, zila panchayat chairman for Aligarh, said, “It was a long pending demand to rename Aligarh as Harigarh.

The zila panchayat approved the proposal unopposed. It would now be forwarded to the state government for approval.”

Earlier, the local BJP leaders had passed a proposal to name the Aligarh airport after BJP leader Kalyan Singh.

Kalyan Singh is a resident of Aligarh and was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh during the Ram Janambhoomi movement.

In Mainpuri on Monday, the zila panchayat passed a resolution, seeking to rename Mainpuri as Mayan Nagar after sage Mayan who founded the present day Mainpuri.

“One of the zila panchayat members had moved the proposal for renaming Mainpuri as Mayan Nagar and the proposal was passed on Monday with 23 members supporting the motion and two opposing it,” said Archana Bhadoria, zila panchayat chairperson of Mainpuri.

Mainpuri is the stronghold of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who won five elections from the constituency.

Earlier this month, the Firozabad district panchayat had passed a resolution demanding that Firozabad be renamed as Chandra Nagar.

Locals believed that King Chandrasen lived in Firozabad and because of this it was earlier known as Chandravar Nagar till about 1560 AD.

“Later, a representative of emperor Akbar, Firoz Shah, visited the area and the place was named after him as Firozabad. The demand to rename Firozabad as Chandra Nagar has been raised time and again,” said a local BJP leader.

The Yogi Adityanath government has already changed the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj, Faizabad to Ayodhya and Mughalsarai to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar.

Courtesy: Siasat

‘Amit needs to have a talk with Amit Shah’: Owaisi mocks Shah

Earlier, Owaisi had targeted central government over death toll due to COVID

Hyderabad: Asaduddin Owaisi, president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Hyderabad MP on Tuesday mocked union home minister Amit Shah over his conflicting statements.

As per an article published on June 4, Amit Shah claimed that the second wave of COVID-19 has been controlled in a very short time. However, in July, the union minister gave a statement that it was humanly not possible to control the second wave of the pandemic.

Reacting to the statements, Asaduddin Owaisi shared the screenshot of two articles and tweeted, “Looks like @AmitShah needs to have a talk with @AmitShah”.

It is not the first time, earlier too, Owaisi had targeted the central government over the death toll due to COVID.

Speaking to the media on June 14, he alleged that India’s death toll due to COVID is ‘five to six’ times more than the official data. To support his claim, he also cited an article published in a leading international magazine.

Third wave inevitable: IMA

Yesterday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that the third wave of COVID-19 is “inevitable and imminent”.

However, the association said that universal vaccination and strict adoption of COVID-appropriate behaviours can mitigate the impact of the third wave.

It further said that tourist bonanza, pilgrimage travel, religious fervour can wait for a few more months as mass gatherings of unvaccinated people can turn into super spreaders for the third wave of the pandemic.

Courtesy: Siasat

A Veteran General And Former AMU VC Writes to the PM “In Anguish”

Hon’ble Prime Minister,

Jai Hind from a Longe Wala veteran of 1971.

You have known me since 2002 when I commanded the force which restored peace in Gujarat after the conflagration which engulfed the state. I met you several times when I was Vice Chancellor of AMU. I expressed my anguish twice to you. Once, for the treatment meted out to me by a Member of your Council of Ministers. I told you that an old soldier, and the head of a premier University deserved to be show more respect and courtesy. The second time I reported that some AMU ‘ parasites’ were spreading the calumny, which the media had lapped up, that I had swindled 120 Crores of University funds. Your words gave me strength and confidence. You simply said ‘ Go and tell them that I have known you for 15 years’.

Sir, I am writing to express my anguish again about the treatment being meted out to deprived and weaker sections of society by the so called ‘ Gau Rakshaks’. You are the person who can put an end to this madness. Despite the recent stricture of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India there has been no abatement to this hate crime, principally because of complicity of some political leaders and the police. They need to take a lesson from the inclusive and even handed nature of our Armed Forces.

I am writing a book titled the ‘ Sarkari Mussalman’ which is due for release shortly . I must quote why my family chose to stay in India

Partition was another trauma my family faced. Those members who owed loyalty to the Muslim league migrated to Pakistan. My immediate family, who had full faith in the inclusive nature and large heartedness of our society, decided to brave it out in India. Our confidence was not misplaced, till recently. There were no riots in our home town, Sardhana, ( Dist Meerut) principally because of the firm hold of my Nana (maternal grand father). He threatened swift retribution to any community which indulged in rioting. As a child I did, however hear horrific tales of the mayhem, arson and murder during partition. It affected me, though I never spoke about it. I could only drive out the ghost from my system after I entered the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. In this great institution I was warmly welcomed, treated fairly and experienced affirmative action, being the lone Muslim in my Course of about 250 cadets.

My wife and I took care to never talk about the horrors of partition to our children. It is a closed and forgotten chapter. But it took three generations to forget. My parents who experienced it, my siblings and myself who heard about it were affected. It did not affect our children as the matter was never discussed at home. It is there fore very important for parents not to sow the seeds of discord and hatred in the minds of their young children.This is the polluting danger of periodic communal riots that rock the country. It will take three generations for the aggrieved families to forget. Those adversely affected by riots would have no stake in the country of their birth.This would certainly impact on the closely woven social fabric of our country.’

I am writing to a person who possesses grit and determination and who is scrupulously honest. I am writing because of the deep impact, on me, by a quote of Nelson Mandela Jr ‘ In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends’.

Profound Regards.

Yours in Anguish,

Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah ( Veteran)

Leave Cricket of all the sports alone!

INDIA-PAK cricket showdown was there before also. And those matches were not played during peaceful times either. The matches were prone to hyper nationalism ventilation as well. Just like the present, but with a difference. The sports page handlers of media houses then were sane enough to separate the chaff from the wheat. The winners were given prominent coverage, the perennial hostilities not withstanding. The editorial policies were relatively fair when it came to sports.

Now, we are in a more hyper sensitive era with media playing the three-in-one tone with finesse. Aggrieved, aggressor and the clueless. This two ‘A’ and one ‘c’ mode is incongruous with the five ‘W’ notion that’s the bedrock of journalism. The perfect example is india’s leading English paper’s coverage of Pakistani team. The insiders say the desk hands were told not to give significance to Pak players. Yeah, you heard right! Even if they had the best day on field. Continue reading “Leave Cricket of all the sports alone!”

Babri case: a golden chance for muslims

Babri Masjid prior to its destructionThe Supreme Court’s advice to settle Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi case outside the court is a golden opportunity for Muslims to demand their rights.

The SC’s advice is a clear indication that the highest court of the land is unlikely to decide on this case. That is why, it has suggested consultations between Hindus and Muslims and offered to arbitrate a settlement.

Two, the timing of the SC advice is also a clear indication that Modi Govt is not keen to build a Ram Temple by amending the Constitution despite the legislative muscle it has acquired after winning Uttar Pradesh.

Modi Government’s first choice would be to somehow bring Muslim community — by coercion or persuasion — to the table and negotiate a settlement.

Why the government would wants to consult Muslims?  Continue reading “Babri case: a golden chance for muslims”

Time for Muslims to deal with the Modi phenomenon

Indian PM Narendra ModiWhichever way you look at it, there’s only one story — one man has overshadowed every thing and everyone in Uttar Pradesh.

Laptops, pension for women, metro, expressway, free uniforms and much more, nothing mattered to the voter of UP. Akhilesh, Mayawati or Rahul, no one mattered to the voters.

They wanted only one thing. They want to strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister.

They want him in spite of Notebandi, they want him in spite of LPG and petrol price hikes, they want him in spite of expensive banking and rail travel. They want him even in the absence of tangible benefits his three-year government could have delivered but failed. But that doesn’t matter anymore. They want him more and more. His failures simply don’t matter. Continue reading “Time for Muslims to deal with the Modi phenomenon”

A politician who remains on ground, literally

In a state where there’s no dearth of candidates with a criminal case against them, Alambadi comes across as an exceptional politician. Three times winner from Nizamabad, 73 year old Alambadi travels through his constituency on foot from 9 to 5. His agenda for UP 2017 elections, is toilets for women and improved water availability in his area. This is the beauty of democracy. All you need is a will. Good luck sir!

Muslim candidates facing each other in UP 2017

Women voters in queueFollowing are the constituencies where two or more Muslim candidates (from the three main political parties) are pitted against each other:

  1. Agra South
  2. Aligarh
  3. Allahabad South
  4. Amroha
  5. Baheri
  6. Bareilly Cantt
  7. Barhapur
  8. Bhojipura
  9. Bulandshaher
  10. Chail
  11. Chamrua
  12. Chandpur
  13. Deoband
  14. Firozabad
  15. Jaunpur
  16. Kanpur Cantt (2)
  17. Kanth
  18. Loni
  19. Lucknow West
  20. Matera
  21. Mau
  22. Meerapur
  23. Meerut South (3)*
  24. Mohammadi
  25. Moradabad Nagar
  26. Najibabad
  27. Nanpara
  28. Noorpur
  29. Pilibhit
  30. Rampur
  31. Rudauli (3)*
  32. Sambhal
  33. Shahabad
  34. Shahjanpur
  35. Siwalkhas
  36. Syana
  37. Utraula

In an election as tight as this, this could make a difference in the final outcome.

* Candidates from SP, BSP & Congress are all in fray here.

Muslims in fray for the UP 2017 Elections – Part III

Rahul Gandhi in a rally

Contesting candidates on Congress’ ticket

  1. Nazir Ahmed, Agra South
  2. Nawab Mujahid Hassan Khan, Bareilly Cantt
  3. Haji Ehsaan Ali Ansari, Barhapur
  4. Anis Ahmad Khan, Bisalpur
  5. Talat Azim, Chail
  6. Nadeem Javed, Jaunpur
  7. Sohail Ansari, Kanpur Cantt
  8. Ch. Sher Nabi Chaman, Loni
  9. Ali Akbar, Mahasi
  10. Mohd Azad Saifi, Meerut South
  11. lmran Masood, Nakur
  12. Waris Ali, Nanpara
  13. Saif Ali Naqvi, Palia
  14. Talat Aziz, Paniyara
  15. Sayeed Khan, Rudauli
  16. Mohd Aarif Sayed Khan, Syana
  17. Samad Ansari, Varanasi North

Note: Data sourced from Elections.in & other sources