WPI will also contest the coming panchayet and assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh.
By TwoCIrcles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: “Welfare Party of India is not just another digit to the growing number of political parties in the nation, but an alternative to all those other political parties. It is committed to propagating value base politics in the nation”, claimed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, national general secretary of the party amid thousands of cheering crowd during party’s first Andhra Pradesh state meeting – a grand function to formally launch party’s unit in the state.
As a show of power in the city and state whose Muslim interest is dominated by another Muslim political party Asaduddin Owaisi led AIMIM, WPI displayed a spectacular rainbow view of the meeting, getting all backward sections of the society and progressive thinkers involved at the single stage. The venue of the meeting Nizam College ground was pact to its limits by increasing number of men and women, majorly consisting of Jamat-e-Islami cadres from the state.
The high profile launch of the state unit was attended by all the top national leaders of the party, including its national president Mujtaba Farooq, vice-presidents Lalita Naik and Milli Gazette editor, Zafar ul Islam khan.
Mujtaba Farooq, in his address claimed that WPI has stood up to change the political system of the nation by reinserting ethics and redefining politics. He said that WPI’s basic aim is to unite Muslims with other oppressed communities to form a strong political front at National level. He made it clear that WPI is not a Muslim political party, and that party doors are opened for every citizen and it will fight for the dignity and justice for the common people irrespective of their religion or caste.
Many Dalit leaders also spoke on the occasion stressing a need for strong Muslim-Dalit alliance to counter what they called the rule of 5% over the nation. Revolutionary poet Gaddar, in his speech said Muslim should unite with other oppressed sections of the society then only they could achieve political justice. Prakash Ambedkar of the Maharashtra Democratic Front, in his address, claimed that there is a political vacuum created due to the communal and narrow casteist politics of mainstream political parties. Ambedkar said he is hopeful that WPI with uniting oppressed communities with Muslims on the agenda of development and justice will be able to fill up that vacuum.
Laita Naik, national vice president of the party and former Karnataka minister who contested recent assembly elections and got only 250 votes, narrated her experience of tasting a disastrous defeat. To convey the message of her party, Ms. Naik said she never felt shameful after that defeat, but could have certainly felt disgraceful if would have won the elections with distributing money. She said her party is committed for clean politics and implementing the same in their own practices.
Lok Satta party president and MLA Jay Prakash Naryan, Dr. Vinay Kumar, veteran Urdu journalists, senior Jamat-e-Islami leaders and many other intellectuals also spoke on the occasion declaring their support on the planned politics of WPI.
The fascinating scene in the meeting were folk tribal dance and songs presented by Telangana protagonist groups, clearly a rare act to be witness in the launching ceremony of a party which is perceived by many as a political front of pan Islamic organization.
Amid the slogans of ‘Hamara Qaid kaisa ho, M.M. Khan jiasa ho,’ Malik Motasim Khan state unit president declared that WPI will contest coming panchayet and assembly elections in Andhra Pardesh. Mr. Khan said that his party will be an answer to all the corrupt mainstream political parties, whom he claimed have made general public disenchanted with politics.
WPI state vice –President Nilam Dominique gave his speech on the same lines continuing rhetoric of value base politics and Dalit-Muslim alliance in the state.
WPI state leaders during their address also tried o convey a message that they are not a rival or against Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen, but will definitely challenge the grand old Muslim political party which is currently holding monopoly over Muslim politics in the region.