The Jamiat Ulama Hind Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (Mahmood Madani group) has issued a set of demands ahead of the Assembly polls that includes zero tolerance to hate speeches, and firming up the existing 4% reservation for Muslims in education and employment.
The Jamiat is an influential pan-India body of Muslim scholars and clerics. Speaking to The Hindu, general secretary of the Jamiat Hafiz Khaleeq Ahmed Saber said that a public meeting was organised in Nalgonda that underscored that votes of minorities, including Muslims, of districts were important in any election.
“Our demands mentioned in election manifestoes should be met by political parties and implemented in letter and spirit. The existing 4% quota for Muslims should be strengthened and protected at all cost, given that Muslims are being targeted day in and day out. A law on the lines of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, and full adherence to Supreme Court guidelines on hate speech, are the need of the hour,” Mr. Saber said.
Referring to sops as “small announcements”, Mr. Saber said that there was an urgent need to understand that minor work like painting compound walls of masjids or graveyards, or handing honorarium to imams and muezzins, would not solve the community’s problems. He pointed out that a comprehensive understanding of poverty alleviation is required and added that payment of honorarium was not on time.
Also on the list of 14 demands are steps to prevent ‘saffronisation’ of education, measures to stop the mismanagement of waqf properties in the State and their proper utilisation, and an end to the “injustice to the Urdu” language.
The Jamiat expressed displeasure at what it said was the poor representation of Muslims on the list of candidates released by the BRS recently. The organisation demanded that Muslim candidates be given proportionate representation.
