By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net
Lucknow: Congress MP Jagdambika Pal managed to buy peace from eminent Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad after the cleric gave a clarion call to oppose Congress in assembly elections. After the meeting on Thursday, Jawwad postponed his road show against Congress stating that many of his demands have been met by the Congress.
Jawwad, along with four others are slated to meet Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi in late evening on Thursday at Lucknow. Jawwad is annoyed over police atrocities at Shah-e-Mardan Karbala in Jor Bagh, New Delhi on January 15.
Congressmen were on sticky wicket as Rahul was slated to start his road show in the old city and Jawwad’s supporters had lined up several vehicles with black flags and big hoardings with anti-Congress slogans.
The drama unfolded after Congress MP Jagdambika Pal arrived at Jawwad’s residence at Jauhri Mohalla in old city at 1 pm on Thursday. After nearly half an hour, Jawwad arrived from a programme. “We are sorry” -were the first words uttered by Pal to Jawwad. Pal then requested Jawwad to postpone his agitation against Congress over the
issue.
“We have been requesting the Congress leaders including Digvijay Singh, Ahmed Patel and others to settle the issue for past four months. We have been handed over assurances and FIR has been lodged against us. We courted arrest but no one came to solve the issue,” said Jawwad.
Sensing the mood, Pal called up UP Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi and apprised her about the situation. “Ritaji is in touch with Delhi and will revert in few minutes,” he said after disconnecting the phone.
Meanwhile, Jawwad put forward his demand which included revoking FIR against clerics, lodging FIR against two persons who had encroached the land in Karbala and set up a plant nursery and constructing a boundary wall around the Karabala as per the court order. Jawwad also claimed that their lawyer Mahmood Pracha who was representing Waqf Board has also been replaced by Delhi government.
Meanwhile, Pal connected Jawwad with Rita Bahuguna Joshi, PL Punia and some leaders in Delhi. After nearly one and a half hour, the lawyer Mahmood Pracha himself arrived at Jawwad’s residence. Pracha informed that their FIR has been registered.
“Now your demand has been fulfilled so please postpone your agitation. You have nothing against Rahul Gandhi so why are you opposing him?” said Pal.
Finally Jawwad announced that he has postponed his agitation for 12 hours. “Our FIR has been registered and we have been given assurances on other demands, we also have been informed that Rahul Gandhi will be meeting us late in the evening. We will place our demands before him and are hopeful everything will be settled,” he said.