EC should cancel Suresh Rana's candidature: Muslim cleric

Accusing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Suresh Rana of attempting to instill fear in the minds of the Muslim community and polarise the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Muslims cleric Khalid Rashid on Monday urged the Election Commission to cancel his candidature.

Rashid said the BJP MLA's statement shows there is no respect for the judiciary as his assertion comes days after the Supreme Court ruling that one cannot seek votes in the name of religion on caste.

"The Election Commission should cancel his candidature because it is an attempt to disrupt the harmony in western Uttar Pradesh. Everybody knows about the role played by Suresh Rana in the Muffarnagar riots. His statement is an attempt to put fear in the mind of Muslims and polarise the elections," he said.

The Supreme Court had earlier this month ruled that "religion, race, caste, community or language would not be allowed to play any role in the electoral process" and that election of a candidate would be declared null and void if an appeal is made to seek votes on these considerations.

Addressing a meeting in Shamli's Thana Bhawan yesterday, Rana said if he wins then the Muslim-dominated areas of Uttar Pradesh will witness curfew.

"If I win, curfew will be imposed in Kairana, Deoband and Moradabad," he said.

The MLA went on further saying that his defeat would be celebrated in Deoband and Moradabad.

The BJP candidate for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections from Thana Bhawan constituency was one of the key accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.