Haj Minister vows to side with UDF

MINISTER FOR Haj and Minorities Welfare Haji Yaqoob Quereshi on Tuesday announced his full commitment to UP United Democratic Front (UPUDF) of Delhi Jama Masjid Imam Ahmad Bukhari.

MINISTER FOR Haj and Minorities Welfare Haji Yaqoob Quereshi on Tuesday announced his full commitment to UP United Democratic Front (UPUDF) of Delhi Jama Masjid Imam Ahmad Bukhari.  

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Pointing out that the UDF was a secular front, Quereshi told HT that the target was to damage both the ruling SP and BSP. The front is also in touch with former Prime Minister VP Singh- led Jan Morcha Alliance (JMA).

Besides, with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) now openly coming out against the SP, there is also the possibility of the party entering into an alliance with the new group. The emergence of the UPUDF in western UP has already caused consternation in the RLD as the party’s traditional Jat-Muslim combination is under threat. It is learnt that RLD chief Chaudhury Ajit Singh has already spoken to UDF’s supreme council chairman CM Ibrahim.

Assailing the Yadav government, Quereshi said that it had done nothing for the Muslim community during the last three years. He said that now promises were being made to retain the base in the community.  Even though the minister has not been attending the office for the past four months, he has dashed off a letter to the Chief Minister demanding financial assistance to 100 madarsas in the State.

The minister said that he would meet Yadav next week to press for his 10-point demands related to the Muslim community. Quereshi said that he had stopped attending the office because no work for the people’s welfare was being done.

The minister said that the Yadav government had made tall claims about taking 67 madarsas on the government’s grant list, but the officers’ conspiracy led to the court staying the case. He said that a fresh list of 100 madarsas had been sent to the Chief Minister for taking them on aid list. He said that Aligarh police had unleashed reign of terror against Muslims. He would take it up with the Chief Minister.

UDF president Yusuf Quereshi said that there was good response to the outfit which has now planned to hold a big rally in Allahabad on August 7. There is also a move to hold conferences in Ghaziabad on August 3 and in Pratapgarh on August 7. He said that some Muslim ministers had contacted him to patch up with Yadav but Quereshi rejected the offer as there was no difference between the SP and the BJP. While pointing out that the State Government had so far not issued fresh notification in Babri Masjid demolition case, Yusuf said that the victims of Malliana and Hashimpura communal riots also could not get justice.