Shia outfit welcomes stripping Muslims of minority tag

Lucknow, Apr 6 (UNI) Even as the Allahabad High Court today stayed order of its single judge holding that Muslims were not a minority, a prominent Shia body has welcomed the impugned decision.

''The single judge observation is nothing, but a hard truth and should be welcomed...whatever facilities have accrued to Muslims by virtue of being minorities have gone to Sunnis,'' Shia Democratic Alliance (SDA) president Maulana Sayyed Ali Hussain Kummi at a news conference here this afternoon.

He alleged Shias have always been meted out ''step-motherly'' treatment.

''There are about two crores Shias in Uttar Pradesh. All the political parties have exploited the community as a vote bank, but did nothing to address their grievances,'' he claimed.

He said no Shia member has been nominated to Rajya Sabha or the UP legislative council.

Maulana Kummi noted that the Muslims have to take an initiative themselves for their emancipation and joining the mainstream of the nation.

''Muslims are not on the mercy of anybody. History is witness, that the community has ruled the country for a long time...this is our country,'' he observed.

Meanwhile, the Alliance has decided to field candidates in 130 Muslim-dominated assembly constituencies in run up to the coming UP poll under the banner of Vidhayak Dal.

UNI