MALEGAON, 19 October 2006 — The Congress party came under attack from leaders of the Samajwadi Party at a rally in Malegaon on Tuesday evening.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is also the president of the Samajwadi Party, told a rally attended by 5,000 Muslims it was the Congress party that branded the Muslims terrorists and betrayed them.
Yadav said that the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was not involved in any violence in UP and added that it was during the Congress rule that the Babri Mosque was demolished by Hindu fanatics.
Yadav said the contribution of Muslims and farmers in the development of the country was immense, but they were still considered suspects and meted out all kinds of atrocities and injustices.
He said Muslims were being targeted by communal forces and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was worse where innocent Muslims were killed by troops. Though Muslims in the Indian armed forces are only two percent, the percentage of Muslim soldiers killed during Kargil conflict stood at more than fourteen, Yadav said.
