Patna,(BiharTimes): Though the withdrawal from contest by Janata Dal (United)’s Kishanganj candidate, Akhtar-ul-Iman, was welcomed by the Congress party and several local Muslims it is not being appreciated by the community of the state in general and the intellectuals in particular.

They are of the view that the move like this would only polarize the votes, which is not good for the Muslims as well as the country. His withdrawal has sent a very wrong message.

“Is he such a stupid fellow that he could not understand beforehand that the move to contest election from Kishanganj would help Narendra Modi as he now said. If he really wanted to run away from the electoral battle he should have done this before the date for the withdrawal expired. He has first betrayed Lalu Prasad and now Nitish Kumar,” said Urdu journalist-turned-social activist, Naiyer Fatmi.

Fatmi further said that Akhtar-ul-Iman withdrew only when he was hooted by the people of his constituency and felt that he is going to lose his deposit.

A senior office-bearer of a Muslim organization, who wished not to be quoted, as he has a good relationship with Akhtar-ul-Iman, conceded that his decision certainly brought bad name to the community.

A reputed doctor of the Seemanchal belt, while talking to the BiharTimes, agreed that it was a big miscalculation and this should not have happened. However, he might have some local compulsions, the doctor said while detailing how the politics of the region is different from that of rest of Bihar.

The problem is that till date both the Congress candidate, Maulana Asrar-ul-Haque Qasmi and Akhtar-ul-Iman were seen with some respect by the community and various organizations and religious leaders.

However, the manner in which Akhtar-ul-Iman surreptiously switched over from the RJD to Janata Dal (United) irked many people yet they soon reconciled as it was his personal decision. But he lost respect of many sensible members of the community when he decided to pull off from the contest in such a way. “This is not the way politics is played. This is highly unprofessional and immoral behaviour,” said Saad bin Hamid, a college lecturer in Biharsharif.

However, noted social activist, Arshad Ajmal, was much more categorical in his criticism. “The whole drama proves how immature a politician Akhtar-ul-Iman is. Was not he aware that Nitish Kumar has no social base whatsoever in Bihar, but was just the product of the BJP and nothing else,” he said adding that “it was the people of Kishanganj, who forced the Janata Dal (United) candidate to withdraw.”

Both Naiyer Fatmi and Arshad Ajmal were the few young Muslims, who joined hands with Nitish Kumar at the time of the formation of Samata Party in 1995, but later dissociated themselves.

Those who wished to be quoted, or not, there is unanimity on one point: Akhtar-ul-Iman has dug his own grave. It would be better if the community get rid of such politician.

After all he resigned as the MLA from Kocha Daman too while Samrat Chaudhary, who also left the RJD, did not. He has lost both the worlds.