Imtiaz Jaleel, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Maharashtra president and Aurangabad Parliamentarian, speaks to The Indian Express about the status of Muslims in Maharashtra’s polity and why he feels that the Congress-NCP pose a bigger threat to Muslim empowerment than the BJP. Your party held a rally in Mumbai last week seeking reservation for Muslims. What is your next course of action on this issue? Our emphasis is on creating awareness about the need for reservation for the Muslim community. The rally was part of this awareness drive that the AIMIM’s state chapter has been conducting over the past three months across Maharashtra. There is strong empirical data to show that Muslims are justified in seeking reservations. The AIMIM is also keen on exposing the duplicity of the so-called secular parties who were crying hoarse on how the community needed reservation when (ex-CM) Devendra Fadnavis was in power but have now gone silent on the issue after coming to power themselves. The AIMIM is being accused of raking up this issue to polarise ahead of the upcoming corporation elections in the state… If people are claiming that we are politicising this issue, then let me tell you that they are 200 per cent correct. We are politicising this because we want the community to question these politicians when they land up at their doorsteps seeking votes. We want people to question them as to why they have gone mum on Muslim reservation. The AIMIM has now become used to being referred to as “vote cutters” by these so-called secular parties. I have a counter offer to make to them: If the Maharashtra government brings in a Bill for Muslim reservation in the upcoming winter session of the Assembly, I promise that the AIMIM will not contest a single seat in the upcoming corporation or council elections. The Mahmood-Ur-Rahman committee that was set up by the Maharashtra government had recommended 8 per cent reservations to Muslims both in jobs and education. The HC, however, upheld only 5 per cent reservation for the community, that too in education. Is the AIMIM comfortable with this? In India, most of the reservation demand - be it of the Maratha community or that of Other Backward Classes - are stuck in courts. The reservation of Muslims is the only proposal that has cleared the judicial process. With the kind of disempowerment that the Muslim community faces, 5 per cent reservation, that too only in education sector, is not enough. But, it is a beginning. I also think that the Maharashtra government failed to put its point effectively before the Bombay HC… You have also raised the issue of Waqf land in your rally. What is it that you are seeking from the state government on this issue? Our demands are very specific. There are hundreds of government offices which are built on Waqf lands. When the state government builds or takes properties on leases or rents for its offices, it pays money to the original owners. The state should pay rent as per the present ready reckoner rate to the Waqf board too. The AIMIM talks about marginalisation of Muslims in Indian polity. However, Maharashtra, at this point of time, has a record number of Muslim ministers in the cabinet. The AIMIM speaks for the general uplift of the larger Muslim community. Maharashtra may have five Muslim ministers but tell me even a single decision that they have taken for the larger well being of the Muslim community. Not one… has spoken about reservations for the community. Whom do you blame for the situation of Muslims in Maharashtra today: the BJP or the MVA? The real enemies of Muslims are these so-called secular parties. Muslims face a unique predicament as they are forced to square off against an openly hostile foe, which is the BJP, and also guard themselves against these so-called secular parties who will not flinch in stabbing them in the back if that serves their political purpose.
