New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) Maulana Sajid Rashidi on Tuesday said that Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader, LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, should declare Muslim candidates for the Chief Minister’s post in Uttar Pradesh.
His remarks came in response to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s comments inviting other parties to join him to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking to IANS, Rashidi said that whichever party claims it wants to defeat the BJP is “most probably in cahoots with them.”
He argued that Muslims were not born to defeat the BJP, adding: “You can grow your party from any part of the country; you can fight elections from any part of the country, but you can’t instigate Muslims by saying we need to defeat the BJP.”
He questioned Owaisi’s remarks, asking why Muslims should defeat the BJP. “This is the same BJP which has worked for the upliftment of Muslim children in Uttar Pradesh. So why would Muslims jeopardise that? What issues do we have with the BJP that we should defeat them?” he asked.
Rashidi also criticised Congress and SP, questioning what they had delivered to Muslims when in power. “For sixty-five years Congress garnered Muslims’ votes… then it said Muslims of the country are living in worse conditions than Dalits,” he said.
He alleged that SP took votes from his community but then labelled them agents of the BJP. “Akhilesh Yadav categorically called a Muslim journalist a BJP agent in a press conference because he was a Muslim and wearing Ray-Ban glasses,” Rashidi said. He added that Congress considers any Muslim who wears nice clothes, drives good cars or uses branded glasses as an agent of the BJP.
“That is why Muslims should be very selective and careful about whom they vote for in 2027 so that we can stand for our rights,” he said.
Confronting Owaisi, Rashidi said: “Owaisi claimed the prime minister will be a Muslim, but would he declare a Muslim candidate for chief minister? I want to say the same thing to Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav; they should declare Muslim CM candidates in the upcoming elections.”
He added firmly: “I can assure that if Rahul Gandhi selects Muslim candidates for the upcoming elections, all our votes shall go to Congress and none to Samajwadi Party.”
Earlier, on Monday, Owaisi said his party will announce its alliance decision for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections by October 2, while asserting that AIMIM is fully prepared to contest. He openly urged opposition parties to consider working together if they want to defeat the BJP.
–IANS
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