By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Gorakhpur : Uttar Pradesh Muslim Majlis president and former State Minister Khan Muhammad Atif called upon the Muslims to come together on one platform in order to ensure political empowerment of the community.
"It is necessary that Muslims get united on one platform to gain political poise and win their due share in the government. Late Abdul Jaleel Faridi had provided the community with this platform for the first time about 40 years ago. The need today is to strengthen this platform," Atif said while talking to presspersons on his arrival here Monday to participate in the Foundation Day ceremony of Muslim Majlis.
"Muslims cannot get rid of excesses and atrocities perpetrated against them unless they get their due share in running the administration," he further said.
Atif said it is a matter of concern that Muslims in Uttar Pradesh are leading a life of political slavery by merely playing as instrument in the hands of other political parties despite constituting 23 per cent of the total population in the State.
Highlighting the sacrifices Late Dr. Faridi offered all through his life for the empowerment of Muslims, Atif said it was with the efforts of Dr. Faridi that an era of coalition government started in the country.
He also appealed to the Muslims to exercise their franchise to make themselves politically stronger; for, the Muslim politicians associated with other political parties are bound by the rules and regulations of their respective parties and thus cannot have their own free opinion.
He also said that whatever party came to power since Independence exploited the Muslims and destroyed their industries.