The execution of 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon has set the political pot stirring with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) using it as a plank to gain Muslim support and make deeper inroads in Maharashtra. This has unsettled the Congress and the Samajwadi Party who see an erosion of their traditional vote bank and plan to arrest the drift over the coming months. Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said, “Frankly, we cannot comment on the Supreme Court judgment. But Congress has always been at the forefront of exposing the double standards of the BJP-led government at the Centre and the state. We have voiced our concerns for implementation of Srikrishna Commission report.” After Memon’s death, the AIMIM has found an outpouring of support on social media from the Muslim community. AIMIM’s president Asaduddin Owaisi’s statement, “Memon was hanged because he was a Muslim”, has to some extent struck a chord with a sizeable section of the community. The presence of 15,000 people at the funeral is seen as meticulous planning by the AIMIM to consolidate its base ahead of the crucial 2017 BMC elections. The top leadership of the Congress has convened a meeting next week to review the developments. Explaining the dilemma within the party, political managers said they could not afford partisan politics or exploit the situation through hate speeches. “It is easy in the short-term but counter productive in the long-term,” said a leader. According to Congress MP Husain Dalwai, “The Muslims of this country have always reposed their faith in Congress. The smaller groups rise and disappear taking advantage of the situation. But Congress will always remain the mainstay.” Several Congress leaders admitted that they found themselves at the crossroads at the moment. “How else do we describe the failure of our MLAs or MPs to support the signature campaign against the execution? The initiative remained confined to just seven MLAs from minority-dominated constituencies,” said a leader.
