Muslim ghetto allows Sena a foothold

‘‘We are fed up of the Congress,’’ one of the convenors of the meeting, Gaffar Faizi, said. ‘‘We have been voting for them for over a decade. But what have they done for us?’’ he asked.

The mood was vibrant and the youth—who formed the majority in the audience—assertive. ‘‘The leaders we elected haven’t visited us yet. They think they can come here before elections, sweet-talk us and get votes? Not anymore,’’ 24-year-old Nadeem Khan, another organiser, said.

Sena MP Sanjay Nirupam, who is likely to contest from this area against sitting Congress MP Sunil Dutt, addressed the gathering and took the opportunity to brush up his party’s image. ‘‘We are not against Muslims,’’ he stressed. ‘‘As long they, too, believe they are Indians first.’’

Nirupam seemed successful in conveying the message. Chants of ‘Sanjay Nirupam aage badho hum tumhare saath hain’ echoed down the street. ‘‘The new generation here has seen bad governance by the Congress. These people have no jobs, no education… We’re telling them to give us a chance to work for them,’’ Nirupam explained.

He claimed that nearly 700 residents of other Muslim localities in the city have joined hands with the Sena. He added the inclusion of Muslims in such large numbers does not mean a change in the Sena’s ideology. ‘‘They’ve taken the initiative. It means they’ve accepted our line of thinking,’’ he said. Next on the party’s agenda are discussions on Kashmir and Ayodhya. ‘‘If we want a temple at Ayodhya it will be only with the consent of our Muslim brothers,’’ Nirupam announced.