Amid the high-decibel campaign for upcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls, a letter by the All India Ulema Board to Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) setting out conditions for supporting it in the elections, has drawn angry and sharp reaction from the BJP.
The All India Ulema Board has written a letter to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) offering its support for forming the government in Maharashtra. The board has expressed its readiness to support MVA candidates, campaign for them, and contribute to their election efforts.
In the official letter issued to the party heads, the Ulema Board has imposed several pro-Muslim conditions and has urged the MVA heads to fulfil those in exchange for Muslim support amid the elections. One of those is the ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS).
Here are the nine crucial conditions imposed on the MVA by the Ulema Board among the 17 total:
- The Ulema Board has urged the MVA to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill and seek its repeal.
- The Ulema Board has requested the Maharashtra government allocate Rs 1,000 crores to the Maharashtra Waqf Board.
- The Ulema Board advocates for legislation in the Maharashtra Assembly to remove encroachments from Waqf properties.
- The Board is calling for a 10% reservation for Muslims in Maharashtra.
- The Ulema Board demands that educated Muslims receive preference in police recruitment within the state.
- The Ulema Board seeks a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) upon the formation of the MVA government.
- The Board calls for the immediate imprisonment of BJP leader Nitesh Rane and Ramgiri Maharaj and the release of Salman Azheri, who has faced legal action over controversial statements.
- The Board has asked the state to implement law against anyone who speaks against Mohammed Prophet.
- The Board also wants the state to pay Rs 15000 per month to Maulana and Imams of the Masjids operating in the state.
It is believed that the NCP leader Sharad Pawar has taken cognizance of the conditions and expressed gratitude for the Ulema support. He has issued a letter to the Ulema Board expressing the importance of the Board’s support.
Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday rebuked the ‘unholy’ support to MVA by the Ulema Board and hurled pointed questions at respective leaders of the alliance partners including Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.
“To what extent, will the INDIA bloc alliance go for polarisation and appeasement?” asked the BJP leader, while objecting to Ulema Board’s 10 ‘outlandish’ demands.
Addressing the media at BJP headquarters, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the All India Ulema Board – Maharashtra has put forward some demands to Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Nana Patole by writing letters for votes to support them in the elections.
He said that these conditions include opposing the Waqf Bill, giving 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for Muslims, giving priority to Muslim youth in police recruitment, ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and sending Nitesh Rane and his people to jail.
He said that such demands are nothing but a charter for disintegration, but what’s more worrying is the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress’s written assurance to the outfit that all its demands will be fulfilled, if their government is formed.
Launching a direct attack at Congress party, Prasad said, “does Rahul Gandhi, who roams around carrying the Constitution book, not know that religion-based reservation is prohibited in the Constitution? The Supreme Court has also prohibited religion-based reservations, in its verdicts”.
“Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge should tell whether their Maharashtra State President has made this promise to the Muslim community with their consent? During the elections in Karnataka, they (Congress) even took cooperation from PFI,” the BJP veteran further stated.
Ravi Shankar Prasad also took strong exception to Ulema Board’s demands of RSS ban and demanded that Kharge and Rahul should clearly tell whether the Congress supports banning the RSS.
“Earlier, during the Emergency, Indira Gandhi had banned RSS, which was later rejected and everyone knows what happened to Congress after the Emergency. RSS is a nationalist and cultural organisation. The Sangh has done historic work in service to the country and igniting patriotism among the citizens,” he remarked.
He also posed tough questions to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray regarding these demands and asked, “whether he has forgotten his party’s heritage?”
“Balasaheb Thackeray always opposed such politics but today, Uddhav Thackeray’s behavior hurts a lot,” he said while dubbing the latter as an ‘opportunist’ and someone who is greedy for power.
Taking a dig at Sharad Pawar, the BJP leader said: “There is a limit of 50 per cent in reservation. In such a situation, whose rights will be sacrificed to give reservation to Muslims. This is an attempt to usurp SC, ST and OBC reservation. Sharad Pawar understands the law. Why doesn’t he explain (to their alliance leaders)?”
