JOIN USMulayam pacifies Bukhari, Azam continues to hurl barbs at the Imam
Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari on Thursday appeared to agree to let Samajwadi Party field his son-in-law for the Uttar Pradesh legislative council election, as one of the two Muslim candidates.
The softening of Bukhari's stand came on the council ticket came amid the continuing war of words between him and UP minister Azam Khan, with the minister's supporters in SP expressing resentment over the party leadership's alleged preference for the imam.
In an apparent attempt to pacify Bukhari, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday had an hour-long meeting with him and proposed to field two Muslim candidates for the legislative council polls.
Bukhari, who had been demanding two Rajya Sabha nominations for Muslim candidates, softened a bit and expressed hope that the SP government would continue to take steps for the welfare of the Muslim community.
The two Muslim candidates for the council included Bukhari's son-in-law Umar Khan.
“We will include more Muslims in the state cabinet in a future expansion. There is no question of ignoring the Muslim community,” Akhilesh Yadav told reporters after the meeting.
Azam Khan, however, continued his tirade against Bukhari. “It's sad to see the Imam of Jama Masjid begging for seats of Rajya Sabha and the Council,” Khan said. He added that Bukhari had wanted a licence for a top (gun) and settled for one for a churi (knife).
Scores of Khan's supporters also held a demonstration outside the venue of the Bukhari-Mulayam meeting here. They were demanding that Bukhari should not be accorded such importance by the party.
Umar Khan, who had been given a council ticket by the party, did not filed his nomination papers on Wednesday along with five other party nominees as Bukhari wanted more tickets for Muslims.
Azam Khan had earlier said, “Religious leaders should not be given political gifts.”