Aas Mohammad Kaif, twocircles.net
Saharanpur: Bhim Army’s Chandra Shekhar Azad has launched his political party, Azad Samaj Party on Sunday. The new party, formed on the birth anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram, is being hailed as a future alternative to it, with its ideology centering around the upliftment of Dalits in the society. The party’s slogan in keeping with its ideology has been declared as ‘Kanshi Ram tera mission adhoora, Azad Samaj Party karegi poora (The incomplete mission of Kanshi Ram will be completed by Azad Samaj Party).’
Another unique feature of this party is that, at Chandra Shekhar Azad as its Chief, it is an example of a Muslim-Dalit coalition with new Muslim faces that are believed to play a crucial role in the party’s working committee. Some of these faces and names are:
Mohammad Gazi, 46, Bijnor
Mohammad Gazi has a high chance of being the State President of the party. To balance the sides, one side has been advocating to make him the leader of OBC Gujjars while the other side wants him as the Dalit representative of the state. He has been an MLA from this seat twice and his wife is the Chairperson at present. Mohammad Gazi once used to be a special BSP member but he lost election twice. Local newspapers from Bijnor have often hailed Gazi as the ‘kingmaker’ of Azad Samaj Party. His supporters claim that he has himself admitted 28 members to the newly formed party.
Mohammad Gazi joined the Bhim Army just two years back and has held strong in the state. However, a section of people is opposing his candidature saying that Gazi is strongly against Pasmanda Muslims (OBC & Arzal class of Dalit Muslims). Bijnor has 85 percent of Pasmanda Muslims. Shameem Ansari from Bijnor claims that Gazi had once given a slogan that ‘Ye chaaron hain Ummat ki Shaan, Shaikh, Sayyad, Mughal, Pathan (These four classes are the pride of Muslims, Shaikh, Sayyad, Mughals, Pathans). Ansari argued that by this statement Gazi meant the other Muslims from the lower classes to be backward. Many similar voices are being raised from within the party who opine that Gazi can be harmful to the party’s Dalit Muslims.
Mohammad Shabeel, 58, Hapur
A resident of Shimbhaoli, Hapur, Mohammad Shabeel had once been a supremo of Mayawati. Shabeel had once been very close to Babu Munkhad Ali and Kunwar Danish Ali in Western UP. The three are actually Rajput Muslims who are believed to be relatives too. In Kitor, 30 km away from Hapur are the houses of Babu Munkhad Ali and BSP’s Shahid Manzoor. Danish Ali’s victory has been instrumental due to the role of Shabeel, as party workers say. However, in recent times, supremo Shabeel is believed to have been working to remove Danish form the post and his role in being included in the Azad Samaj Party is being said to be a part of a bigger plan.
Wasim Akram Tyagi, 31, Kitor
Wasim is the spokesperson of the Bhim Army, with hopes that he will continue his position in the Azad Samaj Party. He is a distinguished journalist who writes majorly on Muslim issues. He is originally from Meerut, currently residing in Delhi. Wasim is quite popular among Muslim youth and is known as a confidante of Chandra Shekhar Azad.
Ehsan Qureshi, 56, Saharanpur
Ahsan Qureshi has already fought in the Behat assembly seat. Along with Chandra Shekhar, Ahsan has attended more than 40 rallies across the country. Ahsan is a very close friend of BSP’s second favorite, Naseemuddin Siddiqui. Even though Naseemuddin is now with Congress, his close friendship with Ahsan has made Ahsan popular in the state. Ahsan’s son Abdul Rahman is the present chairman of the assembly. Ahsan’s role in diverting angry BSP supporters towards Azad Samaj Party is noteworthy. Former BSP candidates like Noor Ilahi from Meerut have joined Azad Party thanks to the efforts of Ahsan Qureshi.
Badar Ali, 32, Meerut
Badar Ali from Meerut has been given the responsibility of leading the party’s youth. Badar Ali comes from a Rajput Muslim family. He has recently been released from jail for being accused under the NSA for inciting violence in the aftermath of Tabrez Ansari lynching. Badar Ali is naturally, very famous among Meerut’s Muslim youth and is believed to have a crucial role in the party in the long run.
Nizam Chaudhry, 45, Modinagar
Nizam Chaudhry is commonly seen with Chandra Shekhar himself. He is one of the most vocal and active members of the Bhim Army. Nizam’s brother Wahab Chaudhry has been MLA in the BSP party. Another sibling of Nizam Chaudhry, Parvez, is in the Socialist Party. One of the other brothers of Nizam is Taj Chaudhry who is a well-known face in the Pasmanda Muslim Movement. They come from the community of milk traders who are predominant in Meerut. It is expected that Nizam Chaudhry’s role will be in the core committee of Azad Samaj Party.
Several questions amid party launch
Despite the aftermath of Delhi riots and Corona fear, the party was launched on Sunday in Noida. 28 new members and 4 former MPs also joined the party on the same day, as party sources suggest. However, no such official confirmation has come and it is expected that proper news would emerge regarding this on March 21.
The newly launched party has become the talk of the town for Indian Muslims and Dalits. Especially a section of OBC Gujjars have welcomed the move. A section of Dalits have expressed dismay at the launch, however, this section is a staunch supporter of BSP. The youth is excited about the party and opined that the future belongs to leaders like Chandra Shekhar Azad. People have been drawing similarities between Chandra Shekhar and Mayawati for being the leader of the backward classes but that BSP has diverted from its original mission and that this new party has been formed to complete the mission.
Muslims are equally eager to see the division of power in the party, owing to the latest alignment of Chandra Shekhar towards aggrieved Muslims. Muslims are concerned about the representation of the Pasmanda community in the party as it is strongly resented that the BSP party that was originally formed as a savior for Dalits has now become filtered with high-class Brahmins who do not take the issue of Dalits seriously.