Imam-e- Eidayen of Red Road in Kolkata, Qari Fazlur Rahman said that most of the works are done only on paper and that the ground realities have not changed much.
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: From the pulpit of one of the biggest congregation of Eid ul-Fitr prayer in Kolkata, cleric demanded from the West Bengal government to act on its promises made to the minorities, even as the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later defended her government’s achievements, adding that her government has fulfilled the 97% of the development works promised.
WB CM Mamata Banerjee delivering her speech at Red Road, Kolkata. Sultan Ahmed (MP), Abhishek Banerjee (MP), Mayor of Kolkata Corporation, Sovhan Chatterjee, Minister for Disaster Management of Govt of WB Jawed Ahmed Khan also present.
Imam-e- Eidayen of Red Road in Kolkata, Qari Fazlur Rahman alleged in his sermon before the Eid prayer on Saturday that the Trinamul Congress government has not still fulfilled its promise of giving affiliations to 10 thousand madrassas, adding that most of the works are done “only on paper.”
Since coming to power four years ago, WB CM Mamata Baernjee makes it a point to participate in the biggest congregation of Eid prayer in the city, where after prayer, she also briefly address to the minority community.
She began her speech wishing the “Muslim brothers and sisters” for the festivity, adding that she had prayed to Allah fearing that it might rain during Namaz and was expressed her gratitude that the God Almighty “listens” to her.
Namaz of Eid Ul Fitr at Red Road, Kolkata
In her brief speech, she said claimed that her government has undertaken several development works for the welfare of the Muslim community in the state in last four years. She reminded that her government has brought almost “97% of the Muslim communities” under OBC reservation quota that has naturally benefitted the community.
Citing another example of her government’s achievements she said that a new University in the name of the poet Kazi Nazrul Islam has been built at Asansol town in Burdwan district while the West Bengal University of Technology has been rechristened as Maulana Abul Aklam Azad University of Technology.
She also reminded about the allowances that Imams and Muazzins get in the state, adding that since her government has taken over the number of Muslim recruited in police force has also gone up, largely due to the reservations benefits. She reiterated her “commitment” to fight any attempt at vitiating the communal harmony in the state tooth and nail, adding that at no cost she will allow any communal flare up in the state.
Besides Banerjee, TMC MPs Sultan Ahmed, and Abhishek Banerjee, Minister for Disaster Management of the State Jawed Ahmed Khan and Mayor of Kolkata Sovan Chatterjee were also present.
Women offering Eid prayer in Malda on Saturday.
Qari Fazlur Rehman had earlier, however, said that the “real picture on the ground is different,” and has not changed much, mentioning mainly about the situations of madrassas where teachers are not paid enough since they are not registered.
Qazi Rehman also took on the central government on what he termed as false promises of Accche Din and criticised the government of going back on its words on ‘Sab ka saath, sabka vikash’ and almost every day news of communal tensions in different parts of the country.
Outside Kolkata another big gathering of devotees was at Sujapur in Malda district where nearly 50 thousand people are believed to have gathered. A separate congregation of women was also organised in Malda.