SP caught in Imam-Azam crossfire

In a letter to party president Mulayam Singh Yadav,the Imam said,“The rights of Muslims cannot be satisfied by giving a seat to my son-in-law. If you do not give a fair share to Muslims in administration and power,I turn down the offer made for my son-in-law.’’

SP sources said Bukhari not only wanted his son-in-law to be made a minister,but his brother Yahya nominated to the Rajya Sabha. The party hadn’t named Yahya for the Rajya Sabha elections held last month,nor has it named him for a single by-election which will be held on April 26,along with the Council elections.

Bukhari’s letter came after party general secretary Azam Khan,earlier in the day,expressed his displeasure over the nomination of Umar Ali Khan,who had lost the Assembly election,saying,“Such people have made no contribution to the party. Any Muslim worker would have been a better choice.’’

Azam Khan said he had nothing personal against any religious leader,but clerics like Imam Bukhari had done little for the community. “These peshwas of religion have failed to meet any expectation,” he said.

While the party was caught in the crossfire,there was no official word on how it proposed to deal with the problem. Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said,“Netaji will take a decision.’’

In his letter,Imam Bukhari said he had backed the SP in the Assembly elections,thinking that it will give the Muslims “an equal share in power and end their exploitation which had been going on for the last 60 years’’.

But the SP,like other parties,wanted Muslim votes,without giving them their share in power,he alleged.

Bukhari said that the SP had given only one Rajya Sabha seat to Muslims,that too to an “unknown man from Madhya Pradesh who won’t do anything for the community’’.

Munawwar Saleem,the party leader from MP who was one of the six SP candidates elected to the Rajya Sabha last month,is considered close to Azam Khan.

Reacting to Bukhari’s action,Azam Khan said the cleric was talking of Muslim interests for personal gain. “Clerics like Imam Bukhari should do their job,rather than dabble in politics and seek favours for their family members.”