My comments posted on The Times of India website over their reporter Mohammed Wajihuddin's report:
Kejriwal has a soft spot for Muslims as he feels that since 1857, they have shed blood for the freedom of the country, more than others. Pakistan was created by Nehru and Sardar as they wanted to rule the country without any hindrance from Muslims, just like Bhutto and Mujeeb, who too did not mind partitioning their country as long as they rule their part without sharing power with anybody else. The problem with Muslims in Maharashtra and in Mumbai is that they have been the most victimized minority that had been suffering police atrocities with covert and overt permission from the so called secular politic parties - Sonia Congress and Sharad Pawar NCP. While Hindutva terrorists have had field day in the state, innocent Muslims are hauled and jailed for years on end and their conviction rate is ridiculously low. The surmise is that the government of the day with full approval from opposition, wants to keep Muslims in a abysmally demoralized state, lest they create law and order problem. In fact, an overwhelming majority of the Muslims in the state are peace loving and are being targeted and humiliated just for being Muslims. The news is out today, that in Mumbra suburb of Mumbai, police has carried out a combing operation, in which practically an area's all families, women, children, old people are dragged and abused and loaded in trucks and carried to police station to supposedly check for some suspects in the area. The way police has treated common civilian in that raid is atrocious and open challenge to Indian constitution's right of citizens to live a live of freedom and dignity. [A replay of Nazis in Hitler's Germany hauling Jews for being Jews.]
In such atmosphere, the well meaning group of activists that had come to 'check' on Kejriwal's agenda for Muslims, were in fact hauled up by Congress two years back, when they had first met Kejriwal and Sisodia in the city. They got away putting out excuses for their 'disloyal' behaviour to Congress cause, by admitting that they were just testing Kejriwal. They had met Mayank Gandhi earlier and reported to be merely needling him to catch him in some odd moment to go to town. So the same group that is known for their expertise in running with the hare and hunting with the hounds, were in Khilafat House, for a discussion as Kejriwal had no time for a prolonged discussion. They were there on behalf of Congress to frustrate Kejriwal. A member of the group, was in fact in a delegation of Congress sympathizers which met Sonia Gandhi to present their formal demand memorandum, with full knowledge that it will never see the light of the day. Sonia Gandhi was giving them a photo opportunity and they were already sold. Kejri team were too shrewd to bite the bait of Muslim support from this group and wisely let them team with TOI's Wajihuddin to make a news report demonizing AAP. That kind of game cannot be played all the time, even with paid media all being paid full value for their services.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
<ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com>
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http://timesofindia.
MUMBAI: If Arvind Kejriwal's much-anticipated visit to the historic Khilafat House at Byculla was meant to send a "positive" message to the city's Muslim voters, it turned into a fiasco, leaving some Muslim activists registering their protests with the media.
As All India Khilafat Committee's trustee Sarfraz Arzoo ushered Kejriwal into the chairman's tiny office in the compound, Kejriwal's impatient and slogan-shouting supporters waited outside. A few minutes later, the AAP leader reached the building's conference hall where sepia-toned photographs of freedom fighters and senior politicians on the walls speak volumes about the institution's glorious past.
A group of Muslim activists and mediapersons were soon outnumbered by AAP workers. As Kejriwal stood to speak, Farid Batatawala of the Muslim Front said he first wanted to say something. Mayank Gandhi moved forward and heard Batatawala, who was told by Salim Alware, another AAP worker, that if he was allowed to speak, ten more people would want to talk.
Kejriwal spoke briefly, repeating the usual lines-politicians have looted the janta, there is no Modi wave and people are angry with the corrupt Congress and BJP. After he ended the talk, Kejriwal was almost mobbed and was whisked away to his vehicle. But the Muslim activists who had expected to raise their issues felt insulted.
"We were told that we would get a chance to put across our issues before Kejriwal. Like other parties, AAP, too, just wants Muslim votes and is not interested in our issues," protested Batatawala. M A Khalid of All India Milli Council and human rights activist Dr Azeemuddin, too, joined the protest.
"We wanted to ask him about his views about our boys getting incarcerated on spruced up terror charges. How much representation is he giving to Muslims in nominations for the polls? We didn't get a chance to ask these questions," said Khalid.
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'Khilafat House visit a flop as Muslim activists didn't get chance to air views'
Kejriwal has a soft spot for Muslims as he feels that since 1857, they have shed blood for the freedom of the country, more than others. Pakistan was created by Nehru and Sardar as they wanted to rule the country without any hindrance from Muslims, just like Bhutto and Mujeeb, who too did not mind partitioning their country as long as they rule their part without sharing power with anybody else. The problem with Muslims in Maharashtra and in Mumbai is that they have been the most victimized minority that had been suffering police atrocities with covert and overt permission from the so called secular politic parties - Sonia Congress and Sharad Pawar NCP. While Hindutva terrorists have had field day in the state, innocent Muslims are hauled and jailed for years on end and their conviction rate is ridiculously low. The surmise is that the government of the day with full approval from opposition, wants to keep Muslims in a abysmally demoralized state, lest they create law and order problem. In fact, an overwhelming majority of the Muslims in the state are peace loving and are being targeted and humiliated just for being Muslims. The news is out today, that in Mumbra suburb of Mumbai, police has carried out a combing operation, in which practically an area's all families, women, children, old people are dragged and abused and loaded in trucks and carried to police station to supposedly check for some suspects in the area. The way police has treated common civilian in that raid is atrocious and open challenge to Indian constitution's right of citizens to live a live of freedom and dignity. [A replay of Nazis in Hitler's Germany hauling Jews for being Jews.]
In such atmosphere, the well meaning group of activists that had come to 'check' on Kejriwal's agenda for Muslims, were in fact hauled up by Congress two years back, when they had first met Kejriwal and Sisodia in the city. They got away putting out excuses for their 'disloyal' behaviour to Congress cause, by admitting that they were just testing Kejriwal. They had met Mayank Gandhi earlier and reported to be merely needling him to catch him in some odd moment to go to town. So the same group that is known for their expertise in running with the hare and hunting with the hounds, were in Khilafat House, for a discussion as Kejriwal had no time for a prolonged discussion. They were there on behalf of Congress to frustrate Kejriwal. A member of the group, was in fact in a delegation of Congress sympathizers which met Sonia Gandhi to present their formal demand memorandum, with full knowledge that it will never see the light of the day. Sonia Gandhi was giving them a photo opportunity and they were already sold. Kejri team were too shrewd to bite the bait of Muslim support from this group and wisely let them team with TOI's Wajihuddin to make a news report demonizing AAP. That kind of game cannot be played all the time, even with paid media all being paid full value for their services.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
<ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com>
----- ----- ----- -----
http://timesofindia.
'Khilafat House visit a flop as Muslim activists didn't get chance to air views'
Mohammed Wajihuddin,TNN | Mar 13, 2014, 03.43 AM ISTMUMBAI: If Arvind Kejriwal's much-anticipated visit to the historic Khilafat House at Byculla was meant to send a "positive" message to the city's Muslim voters, it turned into a fiasco, leaving some Muslim activists registering their protests with the media.
As All India Khilafat Committee's trustee Sarfraz Arzoo ushered Kejriwal into the chairman's tiny office in the compound, Kejriwal's impatient and slogan-shouting supporters waited outside. A few minutes later, the AAP leader reached the building's conference hall where sepia-toned photographs of freedom fighters and senior politicians on the walls speak volumes about the institution's glorious past.
A group of Muslim activists and mediapersons were soon outnumbered by AAP workers. As Kejriwal stood to speak, Farid Batatawala of the Muslim Front said he first wanted to say something. Mayank Gandhi moved forward and heard Batatawala, who was told by Salim Alware, another AAP worker, that if he was allowed to speak, ten more people would want to talk.
Kejriwal spoke briefly, repeating the usual lines-politicians have looted the janta, there is no Modi wave and people are angry with the corrupt Congress and BJP. After he ended the talk, Kejriwal was almost mobbed and was whisked away to his vehicle. But the Muslim activists who had expected to raise their issues felt insulted.
"We were told that we would get a chance to put across our issues before Kejriwal. Like other parties, AAP, too, just wants Muslim votes and is not interested in our issues," protested Batatawala. M A Khalid of All India Milli Council and human rights activist Dr Azeemuddin, too, joined the protest.
"We wanted to ask him about his views about our boys getting incarcerated on spruced up terror charges. How much representation is he giving to Muslims in nominations for the polls? We didn't get a chance to ask these questions," said Khalid.
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