Uttar Pradesh: Muslim cleric asks minority community to drop anti-BJP tag

Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 14 (ANI): National General Secretary of All India Tanzeem Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi has called upon the Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh to stop supporting the Samajwadi Party and explore other alternatives and also drop the anti-BJP tag.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Rizvi said that the SP, which is headed by the former state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, neglected the tall leaders from the Muslim community by not giving tickets during the recently concluded Assembly elections.
"Based on the new circumstances that have come to the fore in Uttar Pradesh, I have suggested that the Muslim community should stop supporting the SP and ponder over some other alternatives because Akhilesh Yadav is neglecting Muslims," he said.
Rizvi reiterated the charge that the SP leadership neglected the tall leaders from the Muslim community in the state polls. "The SP didn't give party tickets to the tall Muslim leaders. While Mulayam Singh Yadav was surely a well-wisher of Muslims but the now the SP under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav is not our well-wisher," Rizvi added.
Talking about the new circumstances that have come to the fore after the BJP leader Yogi Adityanath retained power in the state for the second consecutive term, Rizvi said that the "Muslims have turned against Muslims, and Hindus are speaking against the minority community".
Rizvi stated that the Muslims had opposed the BJP to stop the party from coming to power in the state. "Since Yogi Adityanath became the Chief Minister for the second term, it is being seen that Muslims have turned against Muslims. If one Muslim keeps the BJP flag, the other Muslim opposes him. It has led to one or two murders as well. On the other hand, Hindus are speaking against Muslims," he said.
Rizvi appealed to the Muslim community to stop fighting among themselves and also drop the tag of being opposed to the BJP.
"Hatred between the two communities is increasing. I want to end this hatred and the Muslims who are fighting against each other should stop, and an effective way for it is that the Muslims should stop opposing the BJP," he said. (ANI)