Patna,(BiharTimes): The general secretary of Imarat-e- Shariah, Maulana Anees-ur-Rahman Qasmi, has come under heavy fire from the Muslims for praising chief minister Nitish Kumar and stating that Muslims would vote for the Janata Dal (United).

Though he, along with some Imarat leaders, were quite active in supporting the Janata Dal (United) it was on April 16 that Anees-ur-Rahman was actually caught on the wrong foot. While giving an interview to the Assistant Editor of Hindustan Times, Prashant Jha, he reportedly said that Lalu P:rasad is better equipped to take Muslim votes as RJD is better organized party for the coming Lok Sabha election and that the Muslims would vote for Nitish in the Assembly election. (See HT, April 16, Page-1: The reality and myth of Muslim ‘tactical voting’).

The following day came the denial of the Maulana who under the headline “Muslims are with Nitish Kumar” (April 17, Page-3) wrote: 

“I have been wrongly quoted as saying that Muslims of Bihar will go back to Nitish Kumar in Assembly elections, but in the Lok Sabha polls he is not seen as a key player.

“While talking to Prashant Jha during an interview what I mean to say was that minorities and secular voters of Bihar have always been with Nitish Kumar. They support JD(U) in parliamentary elections as they did in the last Assembly polls. They will also be with him in the next Assembly elections as well.

“I believe there had been some misunderstanding while quoting me in the report.

“Nitish Kumar has solid core base and his vision is very clear. He is committed to the development of the state as well as the country. People of all caste and creed, including a majority of Muslims, support and stand by him.”

However, Prashant Jha stood by his report.

The Maulana’s refutal came on a very inappropriate day: that is in the morning of the second phase of poll, when the voters of both Patna Saheb and Patliputra, along with that of five other parliamentary constituencies, were going to vote. 

Like all the citizens of the state Muslims, in general, were shocked by the tone and tenor of the denial. The Maulana did not just state that Muslims are with Nitish, but went on to add a paragraph praising the chief minister as he is “committed to the development of the state as well as the country. People of all caste and creed, including a majority of Muslims, support and stand by him.”

“What prompted him to say so? How can the head of a religious institution call Muslims to vote for Nitish so brazenly? The Maulana has brought the institution of Imarat-e-Shariah to such low. This is simply condemnable,” said Ali Abid, an RTI activist. 

Rehan Ghani, the editor of Urdu daily, Pindaar, in his column “Do Tok” came down heavily on the Maulana. He not only criticized his denial but asked as to what prompted him to organize secret meetings to muster support for Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United).

Abid, like many others, were perturbed over the manner in which senior surgeon like Dr Ahmad Abdul Hai and some others, sought support for the Janata Dal (United) candidate from Patna Saheb, Dr Gopal Prasad Sinha. Everyone knows as to under whose pressure all these activities are going on.

Old-timers recall that never before in the 93 years of Imarat-e-Shariah history this once respected Muslim organization has been treated in such a way for political end by any government. 

“After all Anees-ur-Rahman is also the chairman of the Bihar Haj Committee and moves about in a beacon-fitted car,” said a critic.