Missing Muslim representation from India’s poll narrative worries local bodies

Four Muslim organisations say BJP, Congress are either ‘ignoring Muslims or avoiding’ their problems

Four Muslim organisations in India have expressed concern that the community is missing from the poll narrative of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, said The Indian Express.

Representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Insaf Trust, Hamaari Awaaz and Gujarat Unit of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat have said that the Congress and the ruling BJP were either “ignoring Muslims or avoiding” the community’s core problems such as their demand for due representation in polls and discriminating against them in all the spheres of life.



“The Congress asking Muslims to abandon their religious attire and yet wanting their votes is a dangerous trend if it spreads to other parts of the country,” said Kaleem Siddiqui of Insaf Trust during a press conference.

Siddiqui was referring to a report about a Congress meeting reportedly suggesting that Muslims should keep a low profile during voting.

Chairman All India Congress Committee’s Minority Cell, Khurshid Ahmed Saiyed told The Indian Express, “A meeting of Gujarat Congress minority leaders was held on Sunday at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan. There was no such advice given to Muslims. But knowing that the BJP is master of polarisation by showing fake videos or photographs of Hindus clad in Islamic dresses in the wrong context… a party worker was telling his colleagues that Muslims should be wary of such things and keep a low profile”.

According to President Gujarat unit of Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, Mohammed Shafi Madni, Muslims constitute 10 per cent population and in 21 assembly constituencies, where they make 20 per cent population, Muslim candidates should be fielded.

He stressed the government should not keep Muslims limited to Waqf Board or Hajj Committee, they should hold a stake in all government bodies.



Muslims had no social space in the state as avenues of inter-community interaction. They were not demanding reservation in jobs but they must be given reservation in education, said social worker Umar Vohra.

The community leaders also alleged that the BJP was effectively discriminating against the Muslims by denying allotment of homes under affordable housing schemes. They demanded the government stop giving benefits to the Muslim community under the guise of appeasement when the same benefits are being provided to other communities anyway. The discrimination must be stopped immediately, they demanded.

This story originally appeared on The Indian Express.