AIMIM has no place in Bengal: Pirzada Toha Siddiqui

By Syeda Shabana Parveen
Hooghly (West Bengal) [India], February 26 (ANI): Days after Indian Secular Front (ISF) chief and Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui announced that his party will not oppose the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls, his uncle Pirzada Toha Siddiqui on Friday said Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM has "no place" in Bengal.
Speaking to ANI, Pirzada said, "Abbas is spreading lies. He is trying to malign Bengal. There has never been a division between Hindu and Muslims in Bengal. People of Bengal do not support these divisive politics. AIMIM has no place in Bengal."
"There have been many developments and minorities are not neglected. No one from Furfura Sharif has done politics earlier. We do not allow political parties with their flags entering into Furfura Sharif," added Pirzada.
He asserted that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will return to power in West Bengal.
"This time people will vote for development and reject communal Politics. I am 95 per cent sure that TMC will be back to power again. Outsiders will not make any difference," said Pirzada.
ISF chief Siddiqui had on Tuesday said that his party will not oppose Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls.
"Asad Sahab came to Bengal. He came to our darbar sharif. We have told him that we are standing with him. I believe in the 2021 Assembly election votes should not be divided and thus wherever Asad Sahab's party will contest we should not field candidates. It is important to support him. The talks are going on across the table," Abbas told ANI.
During his first visit to Bengal after the announcement of contesting the West Bengal Assembly polls, Owaisi held a discussion at Furfura Sharif in Hooghly district with Abbas Siddiqui.
Notably, ISF has made an alliance with Congress and Left Front to contest the upcoming Assembly polls in Bengal.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India on Friday announced that West Bengal will witness eight-phased Assembly polls (in contrast to seven-phased polling last time). While the voting will begin on March 27, the counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)