By TCN Special Correspondent,
Lucknow: With the state assembly elections round the corner, the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) managed a show of over 100 ulema who joined the party singing paean to BSP supremo and Chief Minister Mayawati here on Sunday.
An official press release stated that 130 Muslim ulema associated with organisation named Muslim Convention had joined BSP with their president Maulana Mohd Iqbal Qadri at the residence of senior state cabinet minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui on Sunday. Qadri is also mohtamim of Darul Uloom Warsiya in Gomti Nagar area and is reported to have been a sympathiser of Mulayam Singh led Samajwadi Party (SP) in the past.
Welcoming them Siddiqui in his address claimed that Maywati’s rule believed in fair means and there had been no communal clash in the state. “It has been strictly conveyed to the district officials that any communal flare up will put them in tight spot and they will be personally held responsible,” he said. Siddiqui also highlighted the establishment of upcoming Urdu Arbi and Farsi University in Lucknow.
Other pro-Muslim efforts included putting 100 madarsas in the category of grant aid beneficiaries while releasing 3280 lakhs of rupees towards scholarships benefitting over 92000 students. Besides, 6782 teachers of 2587 madarsa have been paid Rs 9337.19 lakhs as stipend. A new Haj house will come up at the cost of Rs 440 lakhs for which precious land has been provided in Gomti Nagar free of cost. The state government also has waived off the mandatory requirement of police verification for appointments of mutawallis in waqf properties.
“We do not regard the Muslims as vote bank but efforts are done for their development. Muslims have been fooled by self proclaimed secular parties,” said Siddiqui.