Muslims attack Mulayam over UP riots

Muslim intellectuals here have attacked Samajwadi Party president Mualayam Singh Yadav, saying he was not a sincere well-wisher of the Muslim community.

Members of the Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis (FMSA) were reacting Wednesday to Yadav's comment that he has always cared for the culture, language and religious beliefs of Muslims.

"The reality is that Mulayam Singh Yadav has always played the politics of riots and sheltered Kalyan Singh in his party although he is a culprit in the demolition of the Babri Masque," said professor Razaullah Khan.

Kalyan Singh was the BJP chief minister in Uttar Pradesh when the 16th century Babri mosque was razed by a Hindu mob. Kalyan Singh briefly joined the Samajwadi Party following differences with the BJP.

Jasim Mohammad, secretary general of FMSA, said: "Riots have always taken place during Samajwadi Party's rule. More than 100 riots have taken place now."

Mohammad alleged that Muslims forced to take shelter in relief camps following the Muzaffarnagar riots were unable to gather courage to return to their homes but the Samajwadi Party was doing to help them.

Another professor, Humayun Murad, said that if the Samajwadi Party was aware of the problems faced by Muslims, who was stopping it to solve them? "Why are the riot accused roaming free?"

Added N. Jamal Ansari: "Mulayam Singh Yadav treats Muslims only as his vote bank and he fails to realize that the political combination of Yadavs and Muslims has already cracked."

The meeting was attended by large number of intellectuals, teachers and scholars from the Aligarh Muslim University.