By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Azamgarh: Muslims in this east Uttar Pradesh district are not happy with Mayawati and they want to show their unhappiness on Saturday (11th Feb.) while casting their vote for a new state assembly in the second of 7-phase elections.
The silence of chief minister and ruling BSP supremo Mayawati on the Batla House encounter issue and subsequent arrest of dozens of Muslim youths in terror cases has created strong resentment against her. This is the first assembly election in Uttar Pradesh after the September 2008 Batla House encounter, and this has given a chance to the local Muslims to teach Maya a
lesson.
She didn’t utter a word on Batla House
“The Batla House issue is fresh in the mind of people. People are angry with Mayawati because she has not uttered a word on the issue in the last three years,” says social activist Masihuddin in Sanjarpur – the village of the two youths killed in the encounter.
Dr Shahid Badr says “the Batla House is a big issue here. Muslims are angry with all who did not utter a word of sympathy or kept the promises they made on the issue. They are angry with Congress as the party rejected repeated appeal for an enquiry into the encounter. Muslims are very much angry with Mayawati as she did not say a word on the issue.”
Dr Jawed Akhtar says that largely Mayawati is not talking on any subject of Muslims, not only Batla House. She only gives ticket to Muslims where she thinks they are in good number and can win. Some time back there was a letter from union home ministry asking Uttar Pradesh if there is any terrorist belonging to Hindu community here, Mayawati had promptly replied in negative.
The indirect meaning was that terrorists are only Muslims. She ignored the fact that Dayanand Panday, who is in jail along with Sadhvi Pragya and Col. Purohit in several terror cases, is from Uttar Pradesh. Besides that, two Hindu youths were killed while making bomb in Kanpur two years back.”
There are 10 assembly constituencies in Azamgarh including two reserved seats for SC. BSP has fielded its candidate on all 10 seats. Three of the BSP candidates are Muslims.
BSP candidates in Azamgarh district
Assembly seat——————-Candidate
Atrauliya—————————–SURENDRA PRASAD MISHRA
Gopalpur—————————–KAMLA PRASAD YADAV
Sagri———————————-SANTOSH KUMAR SINGH (TEEPOO)
Mubarakpur————————–SHAH ALAM URF GUDDU JAMALI
Azamgarh—————————–SARVESH SINGH SIPU
Nizamabad—————————-KALAMUDDIN KHAN
Phoolpur Pawai———————–ABUL KAIS AZAMI
Didarganj——————————SUKHDEV RAJBHAR
Lalganj(SC)—————————HIRA LAL GAUTAM
Mehnagar(SC)————————VIDYA CHAUDHARY
She worked only for Harijans
Apart from Batla issue, there is another reason of the resentment against Mayawati – her hardcore favoritism for Harijans and Dalits. While providing all facilities to villages of Harijans and Dalits, she simply ignored Muslim dominated villages and upper caste Hindus areas.
Master Abul Kalaam of Beenapara says: “Areas of Muslims and upper caste Hindus were neglected by her government. Localities of Harijans and Dalits developed a lot. There are all facilities, the roads are good. But there is not even a single road in my village that you could walk on smoothly in rainy season.”
“Muslims and upper caste Hindus want to get rid of BSP. This feeling is not only in Azamgarh, but in different districts. She has built statues and done lot for harijans, and nothing else. There is lawlessness everywhere,” Kalam adds.
“Muslims are against BSP as it has done nothing for them. The resentment is in all UP,” says
Shakeel Ahmed of Beenapara. Moreover, she used SC/ST law so harshly that people of other castes started crying, he adds. There are instances when the hard law was invoked even in petty issues concerning harijans and others.
Masihuddin says the resentment against BSP is also for misusing SC/ST act against upper caste Hindus.