By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: National President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Maulana Mohd Usman Mansoorpuri has appealed to Uttar Pradesh Muslims on Sunday to exercise their franchise with intelligence during the coming state assembly elections due early next year.
Maulana Usman, who is also a faculty member at country’s biggest Islamic seminary, Darul Uloom Deoband, was in the city to attend a private function on Sunday. “Muslims should cast their vote with intelligence so that communal forces are defeated. Candidates and parties with clean background should be given vote and support,” said Maulana Usman. When reminded that he hinted at ‘tactical voting’ so as to keep Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay, the cleric remarked: “Muslims should think twice and also study the manifesto of all parties. We will not name anyone but those playing communal cards should be defeated at the hustings.”
Maulana Usman Mansoorpuri (second from right), Zafaryaab Jilani (extreme left) and others
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind holds considerable clout among Muslims in the state. “The parties and candidates may differ in various segments. Muslims should keep an eye on the communal forces,” he said.
Maulana Usman also held parleys with Executive Committee Member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Zafaryab Jilani and Vice-Chancellor, Kanshiram Urdu Arbi Farsi University Anees Ansari. “We may not issue a direct appeal but our message will be conveyed to the community for realising the importance of their votes,” he said after the meeting.