Jama Masjid Imam urges Muslims to boycott SP in UP

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: With Uttar Pradesh elections around the corner, Jama Masjid Imam, Syed Ahmed Bukhari on Thursday urged the Muslim community of Uttar Pradesh to boycott the Samajwadi Party in the upcoming state assembly polls. He said the party has been a constant cause of rue for the Muslims in the state, be it the frequent break-out of riots or discrimination in the employment sector, adding that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) could prove to be a better contender this time. Bukhari lashed out at the Samajwadi Party for having gone back on its word and said it must be taught a lesson so that other political parties may desist from doing the same. "In 2012, we had a good round of discussion with the Samajwadi Party regarding Muslim issues, where security, employment education and various other issues were taken up. It was agreed that as soon as they win, the changes would start to implement but nothing was done. I would personally intimate Mulayam Singh Yadav and even Akhilesh Yadav of the complaints from the Muslim community that they are not safe anywhere, that the law and order is in shambles, but my appeal fell on deaf years," he added. Arguing that Yadavs filled majority of the employment sector, he said that the educated people are forced to run e-rickshaws, but the Chief Minister is far from taking notice. He further alleged that the Muslim community is remembered only at the time of votes. "Whenever a Yadav has contested from a Muslim dominated sector there have been instances of their winning the same could not be said when a Muslim contests from a Yadav. The Samajwadi Party has failed to transfer votes," he added. Asserting that Uttar Pradesh should not trust a person(Akhilesh) who cornered his own father (Mulayam Singh Yadav) who built the Samajwadi Party for 30 years and made him the Chief Minister of the state, Bukhari stated that the citizens of the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh should be weary of such an ungrateful son. Condemning the Samajwadi Party's act of taking Muslim community for granted, he said the party needs to be shown the exit door. "Till the time we don't beat it in their heads that you are not our majboori (need), but it's the other way round, only then would they understand. Entire country saw multiple altercations in their rule, blood was spilled, innocent blood, whether of a Muslim or a Hindu. In this Uttar Pradesh whether it's a Hindu or a Muslim, nobody is safe," he added. Asserting his bid on the BSP as a better alternative to Samajwadi Party, Bukhari said, "At least in the times of BSP, law and order was in a good shape and they had the capability of fixing their three focal causes of concerns of security, education and employment." In a press release, urging the Muslims to boycott the Samajwadi Party, Bukhari enumerated multiple instances of the party's callous attitude toward the community. "More than 400 bloody riots apart from the ones in Muzaffarnagar, Kosi Kalan, Mathura, Dasna, Ghaziabad etc, murders of Mohammed Akhlaq in Dadri and DSP Zia-ul-Haq in Kunda, Partapgarh and emotional exploitation of the Muslims," it stated. Digging into the party's failed promises in the election manifesto of 2012, he said, "Disappointingly, from police stations to every government department, Yadavs were recruited, but Muslims were discriminated on communal basis. No government department can be found where a Yadav is not placed, whereas this government has no place for the Muslims who constitute 20 percent of the population." The people of Uttar Pradesh will be voting for a new government in seven-phase elections between February 11 and March 8. The Congress will be contesting in 105 seats and the Samajwadi Party will be contesting in 298 seats out of the 403 assembly seats.