The Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh has decided to embarrass the Congress by raising the issue of Muslim reservation on the eve of Assembly elections in UP.
The Samajwadi Party is keen to consolidate its base among Muslim voters and will play the Muslim reservation card to put the Congress — the other claimant to Muslim votes — in the dock.
“The Samajwadi Party welcomes caste-based census because this will help in identifying the deprived sections of society and welfare schemes can be formulated accordingly. For instance, the Muslim community remains socially and economically backward and the plight of dalit Muslims is even worse. The Congress and the BJP have ruled at the Centre but there has been no change in the plight of Muslims. We are definitely in favour of Muslim reservation and will raise the issue at the appropriate time,” says party spokesman Rajendra Choudhury.
According to sources in the party, the Samajwadi Party plans to hold conferences and seminars to disseminate the ideas among Muslims that their economic, political and social conditions can only be improved through reservation.
“We will hold seminars and invite Muslim clergy, intellectuals and leaders to express their views on the subject. We will underline our own position and remind Muslims how it is the Samajwadi party alone that has fought for their rights,” said another senior party leader. Muslim leaders in the Samajwadi Party will play a visible role in these seminars and conferences.
The Samajwadi Party, it may be recalled, had displayed signs of nervousness after the Lok Sabha elections when the Congress did exceedingly well and elicited Muslim support in several constituencies.
The party, ever since, has been working overtime to retain its hold on Muslim votes and check any erosion by the Congress.
Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav delivered a master stroke when he publicly criticised the Ayodhya verdict and said that Muslims all over the world were feeling “cheated”.
The Congress, on the other hand, has been treading cautiously on issues related to Muslims.
The party, which has faced rough weather for almost two decades after the Babri demolition, has maintained a low profile on contentious issues but the Samajwadi party is now determined to drag out the Congress and force it into a position where the party will be have to take a stand.