Anwari Begum was given the ticket by the Congress after the party announced in October last year that 40 percent of it’s candidates in the UP elections would be women. She was the lone Muslim candidate from Bijnor, which has 35% Muslim population out of 3.89 lakh voters.
Aas Mohammad Kaif | TwoCircles.net
UTTAR PRADESH — The candidature of Anwari Begum, Congress candidate from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district has been canceled. Anwari Begum (58) is the mother of Suleman, a 24-year-old civil services aspirant who was killed in police firing during the anti-CAA protest in Nehtaur region of Bijnor district in 2019. Following Suleman’s death, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi had visited his house.
Anwari Begum was given the ticket by the Congress after the party announced in October last year that 40 percent of it’s candidates in the UP elections would be women. She was the lone Muslim candidate from Bijnor, which has 35% Muslim population out of 3.89 lakh voters.
Returning Officer of Bijnor assembly seat Vikramaditya Singh confirmed to TwoCircles.net the cancellation of candidature of Anwari Begum. “The symbol Form B of Congress candidate Anwari Begum was not signed by the party. Due to this deficiency, her application was rejected,” he said.
On hearing the news of cancellation of the form, an atmosphere of despair has enveloped Suleman’s house. Shoaib Ahmad, Suleman’s elder brother, told TwoCircles.net, that he was informed on February 28 that “the application does not contain the signature of the state president.”
Ahmad said that the family got the document signed but the following day a party representative told his mother that her candidature was canceled. The family is surprised and is unable to understand why this happened. The family is apprehending that the administration may have taken a decision after meeting with the Opposition.
Ahmad said that the family was hopeful that had they won the seat, they could file a case and seek justice for his brother, Suleman.
“The case is still being fought in the Supreme Court but our hopes are crushed,” he said.
Suleman’s mother, Anwari Begum told TwoCircles.net that, “I am a housewife. I am not educated and know nothing about politics.” A week ago, she had received a call from Priyanka Gandhi who proposed making her a candidate from Bijnor. She recalled Gandhi telling her that she must gather the necessary courage to fight against her slain son’s unjust killing. “I am often troubled by remembering Suleman,” Anwari said.
According to the family, the police have refused to register a case and probe Suleman’s killing.
Despite the fact that she will not be able to contest the election, Anwari said she had full faith in Priyanka Gandhi. “No one stood with us except her!” she said.
On December 20, 2019, during the anti-CAA protests in the state, lakhs of people had taken to the streets after Friday prayers leading police to open fire in which two youths were killed in Nehtaur, Bijnor. Nehtaur is a major town in Bijnor district with 75 percent Muslim population.
Suleman’s sister, Sana, was pursuing BSc at that time. She dropped out. Sana told TwoCircles.net that no one in the family intended to enter politics, but when the Congress party approached her mother, the family saw in it an opportunity to get justice.
“People listen to you if you are in power,” she said.
Salim Mahgir, a local from Bijnor told TwoCircles.net that he wanted to support Anwari Begum and he was saddened by the news of cancellation of her candidature.
“We have to fight the battle of oppression ourselves,” he said.