RIYADH, 21 October — A leading politician from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh Azam Khan said here that the "systematic genocide" of Muslims in Gujarat is part of a bigger conspiracy hatched by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Azam Khan, who is a close aide of Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav, called on Indians to fight the "nefarious designs" of the communal forces such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), RSS and Bajrang Dal.
India’s secular credentials were questioned after communal the Gujarat riots. "How can BJP say that the communal frenzy in Gujarat is an internal matter of India? Thousands of innocent men, women and children were killed with the support of government machinery," said Azam Khan, who is leader of opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
Azam Khan, who was here to attend the annual Sir Syed Day celebrations called on Muslims to map out a strategy to safeguard their constitutional right, who are being harassed by communal parties today. Government agencies are implicating Muslim leaders in fake police cases, allegedly on grounds of being anti-nationals, ISI agents, immigrants and terrorists.
Muslims can emerge as a major political force in India, especially in those constituencies where their vote are decisive. He added that this party has an ambitious agenda for the uplift of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh.
He pointed out that "it was during the chief ministership of Mulayam Singh Yadav that Urdu language was given its due status in UP and hundreds of thousands of job opportunities were created for Muslims."
He said Samajwadi Party was a major obstacle to Hindu communal forces and the whole Sangh Parivar, who he said, have intensified their efforts to occupy the Babri Mosque premises. The All Indian Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has constituted a panel to pursue the mosque case in the court of law. He claimed his party has always stood for communal harmony and strengthening the institutions of democracy and secularism.
In a related event, Sir Syed Day was celebrated in Eastern Province, with great fanfare at the Dhahran International Hotel. A prominent academician Professor Abul Hassan Siddiqui of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Mineral (KFUPM) was the chief guest on the occasion.
Shekhar Gupta, editor-in-chief of Indian Express, who was here to attend Sir Syed Day event together with Azam Khan; was felicitated at the local La Sani Restaurant, where he answered many questions from the audience.
Gupta also spoke on the post-election situation in Kashmir and the future prospects of peace and stability in the region.
