Mulayam-Akhilesh woo clerics to win Muslims

Facing all-round flak for failing to check the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar that claimed 50 lives, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav have gone all out to ‘assuage feelings of Muslims’, considered to be their party’s main vote bank and win back’ their confidence.

The father-son duo has been meeting Muslim clerics and assuring them that the government would do everything possible to help the community members in their rehabilitation and ensure their safety.

The chief minister had a long meeting with the Muslim leaders from western UP on Friday during which he sought their cooperation and also assured that his government was committed to the safety of the minority community members. The leaders were brought to the state capital by a special plane.

According to sources, the Muslim leaders expressed serious concern over the prevailing atmosphere in the western UP districts and complained that the local officials miserably failed to protect the lives of the community members.

They also demanded adequate compensation for the displaced Muslims and punishment to those responsible for inciting communal passions in the region.

SP supremo, on the other hand, met the president of Jamiya Ulema-e-Hind Maulana Arshad Madani and discussed with him the measures to be taken to win back confidence of the community, that had been shaken up after the riots.

Panel of ministers

Mulayam also constituted a panel of ministers and entrusted it with the responsibility of dousing the anger among both the communities in Muzaffarnagar.

“The panel, that comprised 10 ministers, will visit different villages in Muzaffarnagar and meet members of both the communities in a bid to bring back the atmosphere of communal amity,” an SP leader here said.

“It will also try to persuade those living in the relief camps to return to their villages,” the leader said. The panel will be headed by senior minister Shivpal Singh Yadav.
The SP has been observing a ‘Sadbhavana Week’, aimed at creating goodwill among the various communities and promote communal amity keeping in line with the composite culture of the state.

The exercise had been launched on the instruction of the Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The Muslim leaders of the SP feel if the party fails to win back the support of the community, its dream to win 40-45 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections would not succeed.