By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Chennai: While the national leadership of the Muslim League takes credit of its role in the amiable solution to the DMK-Congress seat-sharing, problems are apparently fuming in the Tamil Nadu Muslim League. Party’s women’s wing organizer Ms Fathima Muzaffar has come out against the party decision to compromise with only two seats in the coming Assembly elections. Ms Muzaffar has decided to go against the state and central leadership of the party on the matter and will hold a press conference at 12 pm today.
“We want the party leadership to go back to the former decision. The Muslim League should contest in three seats to the Assembly and that should be in the party symbol also,” said Ms Muzaffar to TwoCircles.net. “We demand a dignified representation of the Muslim community in the Assembly.”
The Muslim League has been in alliance with the DMK for the past seven years. When the Assembly elections were announced, the League had demanded eight seats, ‘in conformation with the DMK government’s policy of 3.5% reservation to Muslims in the state’. But the DMK was willing to give only three, and that too on DMK symbol. And, one of the three seats allotted to the League was taken away to solve the seat-sharing problem between the Congress and the DMK.
The Muslim community in general and the Muslim League in particular are agitated with this step-motherly attitude, said Ms Muzaffar. The decision of the party leadership is not safeguarding the interest of the community or the party. It is like sabotaging the League and burying the dignity of the community.
When asked who all will support this move against the leadership, Ms Muzaffar said, “Many district units have released press statements against the decision of the leadership. And thousands of SMS are pouring into my phone supporting my stand. These SMS come not only from Tamil Nadu, but also from Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and from the Tamil Muslim settlers of Hong Kong and Singapore.”
Muslim League national president and central Minister E Ahmed had last day claimed that his role was crucial in the solution to the DMK-Congress seat-sharing rift in Tamil Nadu. The generosity of the League saved the DMK-Congress alliance. He added that the League had always tried to maintain unity and strengthen secular forces in the best interests of the nation.
It might be coincidental that the first woman leader to question the party leadership has come from the land of the League’s first President Qaid e Millat Muhammed Ismail Sahib and that too on the 64th anniversary of the formation of the Indian Union Muslim League. Presently the Tamil Nadu Muslim League has one member in the Lok Sabha – Mr Abdul Rahman who represents the Vellore constituency. The party has two members in the Assembly – Mr A Kaleelur Rahman and Mr H Abdul Basith.