Muslim leaders in BJP face wrath of community

Sambalpur, Apr 24: Muslim members in BJP are facing the wrath of community members as well as their religious gurus for associating with the political party.

''Muslims who had joined the BJP have no right to attend the prayers in the Mosques and no place in the Kabarsthan (Graveyard) after their death,'' religious leaders of the community in this western Orissa town categorically said.

''We are now in a soup following such an order from our religious leaders,'' said Sayed Fakir Ahmed,District Secretary of BJP minority cell.

He said he was forced to come out of the Mosque during Friday prayer. ''Not only the chief but even ordinary members also forced me to leave the prayer as I have been associated with the BJP,'' Fakir Ahmed said.

BJP minority cell district president Md.Guffar said he had been categorically told that his body would not be allowed in the 'Kabarsthan' after death.

All these happened after a Hanuman Jayanti procession was brought out in the city where some BJP leaders made 'provocative' speeches against Muslims, Md. Gaffur said.

The BJP's Sambalpur unit has the highest number of active members in Muslim community in the whole of the state but the speech on Hanuman Jayanti had shattered all efforts and hopes to bring the BJP closer to Muslims, two other BJP office bearers Md. Mehboob and Md. Anwar Ali remarked.

The Muslim leaders in BJP have sent letters to district president Govind Narayan Agrawala and local BJP MLA Jayanarayan Mishra, also a minister in the Naveen Patnaik government,urging them to ask the BJP leader to tender apology for making 'provocative' speech against the Muslims.

They have even threatened to quit the party en-masse if the party did not concede to their appeal and restore confidence among the Muslims of the locality.

When contacted local BJP MLA and Orissa Transport Minister Jayanarayan Mishra refused to comment on the issue stating that he would take up the matter with the party high command.

UNI