AIMIM denies part in Hubballi violence after leaders’ arrest

On Sunday, Hubballi police arrested Dadapeer Betgeri, the city chief of AIMIM, under charges of rioting and other related sections while three others, including the general secretary of the party, were arrested earlier.

The arrest of four office-bearers of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in connection with violence at the old Hubballi police station has raised questions on the party’s intent to mobilise support from the Muslim electorate ahead of the 2023 assembly elections, people aware of the developments said. The party, however, has blamed right-wing organisations for instigating violence in the state.

According to people aware of the developments, the Asaduddin Owaisi-led Hyderabad-based AIMIM has tried to consolidate the Muslim votes in parts of the violence-hit Hubballi and Dharwad. (PTI)

On Sunday, Hubballi police arrested Dadapeer Betgeri, the city chief of AIMIM, under charges of rioting and other related sections while three others, including the general secretary of the party, were arrested earlier. The police have arrested a total of 146 people so far.

According to people aware of the developments, the Asaduddin Owaisi-led Hyderabad-based outfit has tried to consolidate the Muslim votes in parts of the Hubballi and Dharwad, about 450 kms from Bengaluru, where minorities count for large numbers and can even decide the fate of a few constituencies.

“Opposition parties have been making false accusations against the good work we have been doing in the region. Our office bearers were not part of the violence and have been wrongly arrested,” Rajesh Basavaraj, a state-executive committee member and spokesperson for the AIMIM, told HT.

Basavaraj added that it was the right-wing groups, who have been spoiling the peace of the district and state, making provocative statements and attacking every aspect of Muslim lives as they look to consolidate the larger Hindu vote to help bring back the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power in the state next year.

AIMIM won three seats in the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal corporation elections in September last yearand one seat in neighbouring Belagavi, giving them hope of expanding their footprint into other Muslim-dominated constituencies.

In Belagavi, Muslims account for 20.62% of the total population and nearly 21% in Hubballi-Dharwad, according to the 2011 census.

Much of these votes have either gone to the Congress or have split into smaller groups, benefitting the BJP in these parts from where the saffron-outfit draws its maximum strength.

The other emerging player looking to draw minority votes is the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), which has won a few seats in the local body polls around the communally-sensitive coastal districts of Karnataka.

AIMIM has eyed the yet-to-be-announced zilla and taluka panchayat elections as well as the Bengaluru city council polls which, if held, will be before the 2023 assembly elections.

Basavaraj said that the party has been asked to set the ground to contest seats from Hubballi, Belagavi, Kalaburagi and other parts of the state, including Bengaluru.

“They have won a few seats in local body elections, and their (AIMIM) activities have increased in these parts. They have been making provocative speeches, and all this (violence) is a result of that,” Jagadish Shettar, former Karnataka chief minister and BJP legislator from Hubballi-Dharwad central seat, told HT.

People aware of the district and its demographics said that there are at least 90,000 Muslims in 2-3 constituencies of Hubballi-Dharwad, which can be used to swing elections, especially the local body polls.

“They have won local elections, but it is very difficult to win assembly polls,” Shettar said.

Political analysts and others in the region said that forces from both sides are the reason for the rise in violence.

“Communal forces provoke, and fundamentalists from the other side add spice to the statements and instigate their people. Common people are often caught up in the middle,” Ramjan Dargah, a political analyst said.

He added that Muslims do not enjoy the same prominence or importance within Congress, allowing others like SDPI, AIMIM and Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) to get the votes of minorities.