Days after BJP leader objected to his name in Gujarat voters’ roll, dholak player Mir Haji Kasam features in another list – Padma Shri
The Congress party has taken up the issue, with the leader of Opposition in the municipal corporation, Lalit Pansara, showing a copy of 'form 7' filed by Manvara at a press conference in Junagadh on Tuesday while demanding legal action against the BJP leader.
DAYS AFTER a controversy when a BJP leader raised an objection to the name of dholak artiste Mir Haji Kasam in Gujarat’s electoral roll, Kasambhai’s name featured in the list of the Padma awardees (Padma Shri) announced on the eve of Republic Day.
The 74-year-old artiste, referred to by many as Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai, is also known as ‘Haji Ramakdu’ and ‘Haji Rathod’.
Earlier, BJP corporator from the Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JuMC), Sanjay Manvara, filed an objection through Form 7 under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise before the Election Commission on January 13 raising an objection to the inclusion of the name of Haji Rathod and his family in the electoral rolls citing “absent/permanently shifted” on the form as the reason.
The Congress party has taken up the issue, with the leader of Opposition in the municipal corporation, Lalit Pansara, showing a copy of ‘form 7’ filed by Manvara at a press conference in Junagadh on Tuesday while demanding legal action against the BJP leader. The party’s state unit spokesperson, Manish Doshi, posted on X an image of the form.
Pansara told The Indian Express, “Haji Ramakdu is a noted and respectable person in Junagadh as a talented ‘dholak vadak”. The Centre has announced his name and honoured him with the Padma Shri award two days ago. He is the pride of Junagadh, Gujarat and India, as he has done 3,000 shows across the country and internationally. He was awarded the Gujarat Garima award in 2022. The move by BJP councillor Sanjay Manvara, who submitted form 7 objecting to the names of Hajibhai and four of his family members, Ikbal Rathod, Ejaz, Rashidaben and Hanifbhai, is condemnable. We demand strict legal action against the BJP corporator who defamed the pride of Junagadh and our nation through this act. The BJP councillors are targeting people from a particular community and have submitted thousands of forms in bulk, objecting to the names of a particular community’s voters under SIR in JuMC.”
Talking to The Indian Express, the 74-year-old Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai, said, “I am heartbroken by such an incident. I came across this on Tuesday afternoon, through in some viral media clips. I have no ill-will towards the person who has objected to the inclusion of my name and those of my family members in the voting list. We all have important documents such as Aadhaar card, voter ID card, PAN card and passports. We are ready to show all our documents when demanded by the concerned authorities.”
He said, “I am delighted that the Government of India has given me an honour and declared my name among the Padma Shri awardees. There are no words to express my happiness. I would like to add that our surname is ‘Rathod’ and ‘Mir’ is our sub-caste.”
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The artist added that the Junagadh District Collector, Anil Ranavasiya, called him on Tuesday afternoon to inform that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel would meet him on Wednesday.
“The Collector told me that CM Patel will visit the Junagadh Agricultural University ground for an event, during which I have been invited and will be felicitated. It will be a moment of great honour for me”, Kasambhai said.
Meanwhile, BJP corporator from ward no. 7 Sanjay Manvara said, “I objected to the name of Hajibhai Rathod mentioned in the voter list and have submitted form no. 7 to the election branch on January 13. Hajibhai’s name on his Aadhar card was Hajibhai Mir; The Padma Shri list announced by the Centre also said ‘Hajibhai Mir’. His name on the voting list is Hajibhai Rathod and no one by the name was found at the said address, so I was confused. Hajibhai Ramakdu is a well-known figure in Junagadh and everybody knows him.”
He added, “Now it is up to the administration department to check whether Hajibhai Rathod is same person as Hajibhai Mir alias Hajibhai Ramakdu.”
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Junagadh Collector Anil Ranavasiya was unavailable for comment on Tuesday.
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
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