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In the last signifier of campaigning for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, person repeatedly raised the contented of “Vote Jihad,” arguing that the consolidation of Muslim votes indispensable beryllium countered by Hindu voters done a “Dharma Yudh” (religious war). In the midst of this high-stakes campaigning, Maulana Khalil-ur-Rahman Sajjad Nomani, a 69-year-old Islamic scholar, has recovered himself astatine the centre of a governmental tempest aft releasing a database urging voters successful Maharashtra to enactment candidates from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
The list, issued past week, calls for voters to formed their ballots with the volition of strengthening secularism and ensuring the enactment of an inclusive government. The list’s merchandise did not beryllium good with the BJP, which has labelled it arsenic an illustration of “Vote Jihad,” a word utilized by enactment leaders to suggest an organised effort to consolidate Muslim votes against BJP candidates. Fadnavis and different BJP leaders, including Kirit Somaiya, person accused Nomani of encouraging vote-bank politics.
Somaiya filed a ceremonial ailment with the Election Commission, alleging that Nomani’s actions amounted to hatred code and a usurpation of the exemplary codification of conduct.
Who is Nomani and what has helium said
Shaikh Khalil-ur-Rahman Sajjad Nomani is the lad of renowned Islamic theologian Maulana Manzoor Nomani. Born successful Lucknow, helium received his aboriginal spiritual acquisition astatine assorted esteemed Islamic seminaries, including Darul Uloom Deoband successful Uttar Pradesh and Madina University successful Saudi Arabia.
A adjacent subordinate of the precocious Maulana Wali Rahmani, the erstwhile caput of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Nomani presently serves arsenic the spokesperson for the AIMPLB. In summation to his scholarly and spiritual pursuits, helium runs respective madrassas and is the caput of the Khanqah Nomaniya Mujaddidiyah, a spiritual centre located successful Neral, Raigad district. Nomani is besides a salient dependable successful the integer space, with a well-received YouTube transmission that boasts implicit 400,000 subscribers and features much than 700 videos connected Islamic jurisprudence and modern issues.
Politically engaged and assertive, Nomani has agelong been a advocator for greater governmental mobilisation and governmental practice wrong the Muslim community.
However, Nomani is nary alien to controversy. One specified incidental occurred successful April 2023, erstwhile a video surfaced of Nomani delivering a sermon successful which helium controversially stated, “Do not nonstop girls to schoolhouse oregon assemblage alone. It is haram (forbidden).” The remarks sparked wide criticism, peculiarly from women’s rights groups and secular activists, and brought renewed attraction to his nationalist statements connected societal issues.
As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections approached, Nomani intensified his governmental efforts, urging Muslim voters to workout their electoral powerfulness much effectively. His telephone for governmental engagement gained further momentum arsenic the Maharashtra Assembly elections neared. In particular, helium reached retired to cardinal leaders of the MVA alliance, including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) main Sharad Pawar, advocating for greater Muslim practice successful the authorities legislature.
“I person informed Sharad Pawar, with supporting data, that determination are 25 constituencies wherever Muslims tin triumph and lend to the enactment of a secular, antiauthoritarian authorities successful Maharashtra,” Nomani had said, portion seeking greater fig of seats for Muslim candidates.
On November 13, Nomani took a much assertive step, releasing a database of 269 MVA candidates that helium claimed should beryllium supported successful the elections. The database besides included 17 non-MVA candidates, bringing the full fig of recommended candidates to 288, with 23 Muslims among them.
On November 14, Nomani issued different connection which further antagonised the BJP. “Our absorption is lone to candidates who are associated with parties whose content is successful changing the Constitution,” Nomani declared. While not straight naming the BJP, helium suggested that if specified forces were not checked, the secular cloth of the state would beryllium astatine risk.
“If they triumph successful the state, their tone volition beryllium high, and the cardinal authorities volition find caller vigor successful pushing its hidden docket of changing the Constitution. If they are defeated here, the authorities successful the halfway volition besides fall,” helium warned.
What has BJP said
The BJP was speedy to criticise Nomani for his remarks. Somaiya filed a ceremonial ailment against him, accusing him of promoting hatred code and calling for “Vote Jihad.”
Fadnavis besides joined the fray, criticising Nomani’s statements. “In the video that has travel out, helium is calling for the recognition and boycott of those who supported the BJP successful the Lok Sabha elections. He further calls for ‘vote jihad,’ naming Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Rahul Gandhi arsenic the leaders of this movement. What benignant of authorities is this? We person ne'er seen specified polarisation successful authorities before. Congress and its allies, successful the panic of defeat, are trying to bring guardant ideas that disagreement nine and the country,” Fadnavis said.
In effect to the allegations, Nomani defended his position, questioning the accusations of “Vote Jihad.” “Out of the database of 288 candidates I released, barring 23 candidates, each are Hindus. Is calling for radical to ballot for Hindus present considered ‘Vote Jihad’” helium said connected Saturday.
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