By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Azamgarh: “Batla House encounter is a pain in my heart. It is in the heart of everybody here. It is not just in our mind,” says Abul Kalam, a retired lecturer sitting in the compound of his house in Beenapara village. People particularly Muslims in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh have not forgot the shootout that happened on 19th September 2008 in Batla House locality of Jamia Nagar in New Delhi. Two youths of Sanjarpur village, about five kms from Beenapara, were killed in the encounter.
“It was not an encounter, it was a murder. Digvijay Singh of Congress still says it was fake. Six bullets in the upper part of head tell all. Were they shot from helicopter?,” asks Kalam adding that only a probe would satisfy us and it can help Congress improve its image on the issue.
“Sonia Gandhi or Manmohan Singh could have ordered an enquiry. This was necessary to clean the image of their party. If the probe said it was fake, we would have accepted it and the issue had gone out of our mind,” says Kalam.
Shakeel Ahmed, an elderly person again in Beenapara village says: “Batla House is still in the mind of people. People think it was a fake encounter, it must be enquired into. Post mortem report also says it is a fake encounter. Congress leader Digvijays says it’s fake but home minister says it was genuine.”
Azamgarh is going to poll on Saturday (11th Feb.) in the 2nd Phase of UP Assembly polls. Whoever you talk about the issues, he will not miss Batla House.
Dr Shamim Ahmed runs a clinic in Sanjarpur, the village of the two youths – Atif Ameen and Mohd Sajid – who were killed in the Batla House encounter. Dr. Ahmed says: “Batla is a factor in this election. People will keep it in mind when they will be casting vote.”
Who will face the wrath on Batla?
Masihuddin, a noted social activist in Sanjarpur, says the issue is heavy in the mind and people are against Mayawati besides Congress on this issue. As Congress is hardly seen in the election map in this region, the BSP will face the wrath. “Batla House is in the mind of people. They are angry against BSP supremo and chief minister Mayawati as she did not utter a word on the issue,” says Masihuddin and adds that SP could get an edge after making some promise the issue of victim youths of terror probes.
“There is resentment against BSP while SP manifesto on terror issue has got attraction of Muslims,” he says.
Dr. Shahid Badr, a unani practitioner and former president of Students Islamic Movement of India, has similar views. He also sees Batla as a big issue and says Muslims are angry with everyone who has cheated them or done nothing on the issue.
“Batla is a big issue. Muslims are angry with all who did not utter a word of sympathy or keep the promises they made on the issue. They are much angry against Congress which rejected their repeated appeal for an enquiry. Digvijay Singh of Congress says it was fake but home minister says it was genuine. They are angry against Mayawati also because she did not say a word on Batla issue,” says Dr. Badr.
He also says that Samajwadi Party could get an edge on this issue particularly after promising to do for innocent youths languishing in jail in terror cases. Samajwadi Party has mentioned this in its manifesto.
Dr Jawed Akhtar, an eminent personality in the city says: “Batla House encounter is one of the major issues in this election. It will affect the result of election. We wanted political parties to declare their manifesto on this issue. No party is serious. I have personally met home minister and law minister but they did nothing. I asked home minister that enquires are done in many cases. There has been huge hue and cry over this issue, and there are substantial evidences showing the encounter was fake, then why aren’t you ordering probe, he had no clear answer.
He also agrees that SP will have an edge over the issue particularly after mentioning terror victim issue in the manifesto and also because BSP chief Mayawati has not uttered a word on this issue.