Pasmanda Muslim Sabha organized by minority wing of BJP in Lucknow. , Photo credit: Sandeep Saxena
TeaThree days ago, Fasahat Ali Khan Sanu, a close aide of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Rampur bypoll. Mr. Sanu gave three reasons for his decision: one, the role of Abduls (common Muslims) in the SP and other secular parties, he alleged, was merely carpet-rolling for the leadership; two, the BJP government did not discriminate against Muslims in the implementation of its schemes; And three, the BJP promised to honor him. Mr. Sanu echoed what he said while addressing Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Brajesh Pathak rally of pasmanda muslims In Rampur: ” Now Pasmanda Muslim Bade Miyan will not fill hookah, By this Mr. Pathak meant backward muslims Will no longer serve the interests of upper class Muslims like Mr. Khan.
Read this also | BJP relies on backward Muslims in Rampur Sadar bypoll
But Mr. Sanu, who is facing multiple criminal cases, is no Pasmanda. Recent events, including the switch of SP leaders Imran Masood and Ali Yusuf Ali to the BJP, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind’s support for the madrassa survey, and the meeting of a section of Muslim intellectuals with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) show that BJP and Muslims are taking careful steps towards each other. Such proposals are a response to the global outcry after BJP spokesperson (now expelled) Nupur SharmaControversial remarks on the Prophet Besides, with the Lok Sabha elections just over a year away, the BJP is keen to make a mark in areas dominated by leaders such as Mr Khan, Mukhtar Ansari and Nahid Hasan. It is expected that they will either switch to the BJP or unite behind the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the only party that is vocal on Muslim issues and is likely to influence the election results in favor of the BJP. Can Interestingly, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in his rallies ahead of the assembly elections in UP would also ask, “ How long will Abdul lay the door for the Samajwadi Party? (How long will common Muslims spread the carpet for SP)?”
UP had voted for 34 Muslim candidates in the last assembly election: 32 from the SP and two from the Rashtriya Lok Dal. But it seems as if the Muslim political activist wanted nothing less than a change in the regime. Some miss out on the perks of power, some are angry with the SP for the leadership’s silence on the humiliation of the community by the Sangh Parivar, and some feel that strengthening the SP only leads to polarisation, helping the BJP . Many say Mr Masood and others switched parties to buy peace with the BJP and remain relevant in their constituencies as the ruling party is busy displacing SP strongmen through administrative and judicial processes. Is. Observers say Mr. Sanu and Mr. Masood’s switch to other parties is not very different from the recent mix-up between some Muslim intellectuals and the RSS. There is a saying often heard among the clerics of Deoband or the self-proclaimed vote managers of the Muslim community in Rampur and Aligarh: Staying in the water, the caste did not hate the crocodile (You can’t fight a crocodile while in water).”
Despite rhetoric about the lack of discrimination in the implementation of government schemes, many Muslims believe that the BJP-led government is trying to strengthen their religious identity by surveying madrassas and enemy properties. Hate speech cases are being followed up against opposition leaders, while the BJP gives a long rope to its own miscreants. Yeti Narasimhanand Saraswati’s comments against Islam have become so common that they are being considered worldly.
A section of Muslims, who feel that Hindutva politics and competitive communalism are here to stay, suggesting indifference to politics may reduce friction. They wonder why Muslims should take full responsibility for defeating the BJP. But he is equally worried about the BJP’s ability to constantly find issues to target the community. They worry not so much about the Gyanvapi Masjid or the Uniform Civil Code as they do about vicious social media messaging about the government’s efforts to streamline waqf property records and remove encroachments on enemy properties. Observers say the right-wing ecosystem is creating a feeling in rural areas that Muslims are sitting on illegally occupied property. Is the alleged tyrant BJP being seen as a saviour? Or are both sides trying to protect their interests only till 2024?