BJP prime ministerial candidate and chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi waves to his supporters. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Wary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narendra Modi’s right-wing credentials, Hyderabad’s Muslim community would prefer casting their ballot for any candidate but the BJP frontrunner.
This Friday, ensconced amidst the historic 400-year old Jama Masjid adjoining the symbolic Charminar monument, the 38-year-old custodian of the mosque, Syed Shah Obeidullah Qadri, sent out a discrete but unmistakable message to his 1,000 strong audience of worshippers.
“I’m not telling you whom to vote for. But we have to prevent the country from being divided on religious lines. You have to select the candidate accordingly,” he said.
Shy of voicing open opposition to Modi, the custodian said, “I don’t want it to be binding on anyone. But you should think about how you can defeat divisive forces before you cast your vote.”
Recounting the preacher’s message, Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, 40, owner of a jewelry shop adjoining the Jama Masjid said the Old City would vote as it had always done – for the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a local religious party.
The Muslims here are feeling really empowered. This is our day in the sun, said Khan in his office.
The choice is voting for Modi or voting to defeat him. So we have decided to vote against those candidates who will enable Modi to come to power, he said.
Interestingly, this time the difference is that MIM has a good chance of being more than just a kingmaker in the Assembly and an ally of the Congress in the centre; it is expected to get more than 20 per cent of the seats in the 119 member Telangana Assembly.
In recent weeks, the BJP has been in an overdrive, trying to win over states with a sizeable Muslim population.
According to the last census in Andhra Pradesh, there are about 12.5 per cent Muslims in the state. Similarly, in Telangana they are between 14 and 18 per cent. The community is known to be deeply sensitive to the humiliation of watching the destruction of the Babri Masjid and arbitrary arrests that followed.
Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, was part of the empire of the Nizam of Hyderabad with a huge Muslim population. In the intervening period, the Muslim community has moved out of the city to settle elsewhere in the state, but a large population still lives in the old city, clustered tightly around the symbolic Charminar.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2014.
COMMENTS (10)
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Total rubbish but then what else can you expect from a pakistani news site. Muslims form only 7% of the state population and 60% of whom live in Hyderabad. Whatever development took place here is because of the Telugu Desam Party supremo Chandrababu Naidu. MIM goondas led by owaisi think that hyderabad is their personal property. In fact the violence and riots stopped only when the army intervened.
This is good for BJP. Such exhortations generally motivate the opposite party even more.
@BruteForce: "A Democratically elected Government goes to write a Pakistani Constitution, which till today doesn’t allow any non-Muslim to be the PM or President of the Islamic Republic."
What realistic chances are there for a non-muslim to become a PM or President, in a country that is 97.5% muslims? I fail to understand the thinking behind these laws. Non-muslims cannot vote for a muslim candidate and non-muslim candidates are stand for elections only on the reserved seats. If any non-muslim can cross the impossible, he/she should be honored and respected.
Another false claim that Pakistanis often make is that the religious parties have never gained more than 2 or 3% of seats in the Assembly. This ignores the fact that most of the main stream parties are in fact religious parties, even in their names. They all carry "Muslim" or "Islam" in their names. Pakistan's ruling party is "Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz". Even Musharraf's Party is "All Pakistan Muslim League".
now MIM is secular.....what a joke....
Badly researched article. MIM can never dream of winning 20% seats in Telangana. Their best possible score(if there is a miracle) is 13 out of 119. They can safely expect 9 seats. They are a communal party who claim their communalness is necessary to counter Sangh Parivar. Though there is some truth to it, the party repels enough educated Muslims and Hindus for every communal vote they gather.
I dont know how many muslims will be elected if hindus also decide to vote the candidate who is defeating the muslim candidate.
@rasgullah:
This MIM if they come to power(assume) in the country, they will not think twice before implementing Sharia in India, just like the Muslim Brotherhood did in Egypt.
Same happened in Pakistan. Muslim League which professed to be against the core principles of Democracy and wanted special rights for Muslims declined to provide the same rights to the minority Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan.
A Democratically elected Government goes to write a Pakistani Constitution, which till today doesn't allow any non-Muslim to be the PM or President of the Islamic Republic.
Such blatant Communalism will never be practiced by the BJP, but many Pakistanis love to equate BJP with such groupings.
What an irony..
@rasgullah:
Why told you Muslims like secularism in minority?
They don't.
Why did the riots of Gujrat and UP happen, if Muslims liked secularism?
Funny that Muslims like secularism when in minority, but not when they are in majority.