By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: Maulana Mahmood Madani has threatened to start a ‘Jail Bharo Tahreek’ if the promises of the Maharashtra government to Muslims are not fulfilled.
Addressing the management committee meeting of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra (JUM), he said, “In the Anti-Terrorism Conference held in Mumbai on February 14, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had promised to give reservation to Muslims and additional Floor Space Index (FSI) for mosques. We demand reservation for Muslims as in Andhra Pradesh. If positive approach is not adopted in this regard we will start an agitation.”
The meeting was summoned yesterday, in the Hajj House, to elect the president and the vice-president of the JUM. Hafiz Nadeem Siddiqee and Maulana Muhammad Zakir were unanimously elected president and general secretary respectively. Haji Abul Bayan was elected deputy president with the minority of management committee members raising their hands to approve the decision.
Earlier this week Arshad Madani group of Jamiat Ulema e Hind had organized their own meet to elect their office bearers. They have elected Haji Mustaqeem Ahsan Azmi as state president of JUM. Haji Ramazan Quraishi has been made treasurer and Mufti Yusuf assistant treasurer.
“The Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra has been trying not only for the implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations and for additional FSI to mosques but also we raised our voice against the tortures meted out to the riots-affected people,” said Hafiz Nadeem Siddiqee, the newly-elected president.
FSI denotes the amount of construction that can be done on a given piece of land.
The government had announced more FSI for religious places after the Conference and a Government Order too has been issued but nothing has been done to its effect so far.