Ahead of Rajasthan polls, Muslims body rejects AIMIM, says Cong silent on community issues

The Rajasthan chapter of the IMCR organised a conference on Saturday, which was attended by several politicians from different parties and members of the civil society, including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Congress leader Salman Khurshid, BSP MP Kunwar Danish Ali, former CPI Rajya Sabha MP Azeez Pasha and retired IIT Delhi Professor VK Tripathi.

“We founded the IMCR after asking ourselves why intellectual Muslims are not coming forward. Our leadership is currently with radicals… Civil rights have disappeared in India,” Adeeb, founder and chairman of IMCR told The Indian Express.

Adeeb,77, was an independent Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh between 2008 and 2014. His candidature was supported by parties such as the Congress, SP and RLD.

“We are hoping to bring secular Hindus and Muslims together, similar to the way the Muslim community had given all power to Mahatma Gandhi during the Khilafat movement. We belong to those people who embraced Gandhi and rejected Jinnah. But what saddens me today is that when Kanhaiyalal was killed in Udaipur, all Muslims condemned it. But when two people were burnt alive (murder of Nasir and Junaid allegedly by cow vigilantes), panchayats are being held in support of the accused. The basic objective of this platform (IMCR) is to support secular people,” he said.

Adeed criticised both the AIMIM and the Congress, adding that the Congress is afraid to speak on issues affecting Muslims.

“We feel that Muslims should not go to the AIMIM. Muslims may chant slogans in favour of Owaisi but he gets only two per cent of the total vote. But Owaisi polarises the electorate and it results in the opposite party getting 15 to 20 per cent more votes. But what is unfortunate is that even the Congress has drifted its ideology. They are afraid that they will lose Hindu votes,” said Adeeb.

Azam Baig, chairman of the Rajasthan chapter of the IMCR, said: “We joined the IMCR after agreeing on the point that while we strengthen the Congress, it should come with us with a secular mind and speak openly on Muslim issues. Otherwise, we won’t be able to stop the 90 per cent Muslims currently with the Congress from going to other parties (AIMIM and AAP). It will be a big loss to us.”

Baig, former president of the Aligarh Muslim University, is the national coordinator of the Congress’s minority department and also the minority department in-charge for Uttar Pradesh.

In 2008, Baig had contested elections against Congress’s Shanti Dhariwal as an Independent from Kota north, but had lost. He added that thereafter he rejoined Congress.

At the IMCR conference held on Saturday, former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi should get a chance to speak in Parliament amid the controversy over his recent remarks in London. “The IMCR is a creation of Muslims but not for Muslims alone. Anyone who has been deprived of their civil rights can join us. We have held conferences in various cities. We have engaged eminent lawyers to help those who have suffered injustice or are being framed in false cases, irrespective of their religion. We have also created a platform for media,” Adeeb said.

About his take on the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections, he said: “In Rajasthan, there are not many options apart from Congress. Our attempt will be to help Congress but they will also have to support Muslims. If they don’t stand with us, they will damage the country.”