Latest news with #PasmandaMuslims
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP minority wing to ask Pasmandas to assert caste identities during census
1 2 Lucknow: In a strategic move, the BJP plans to tap the Pasmanda (backward) Muslim communities by exhorting them to assert their caste identities during the caste enumeration exercise scheduled to be undertaken along with the Census drive in 2026 and 2027. This may help them avail reservation benefits. "The community needs to be cautious of hardliner Maulanas and the opposition leaders who just want Muslims to be identified only on religious grounds," said UP BJP minority morcha chief Kunwar Basit Ali. BJP sources said that the party plans to chart out a nationwide drive to reach out to the Pasmandas, the electorally crucial bloc constituting a sizable potential of the total Muslim population which has traditionally been supportive of the opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party and Cong. This is seen as BJP's yet another strategy to blunt opposition's aggression ahead of panchayat polls due next year and subsequently the 2027 assembly elections. BJP national minority morcha president Jamal Siddiqui told TOI that the campaign would soon be rolled out after due discussion and formal approval of the party high command. He said that maximum reservation benefits have been usurped by a handful of Muslim communities while a host of socially and economically oppressed sections remain neglected. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo "Only the creamy layer among the Pasmandas have been benefited. There are scores of castes within the Pasmandas who have left behind in the road to social justice and development. They need to be supported," he said. Several Muslim communities get reservations in the Central OBC and several state OBC lists. According to a 2005 National Sample Survey Organisation survey, Muslim OBCs constitute around 41% of the total Muslim population. Muslim groups, however, claim the percentage to be much higher. In UP, communities like Nai (barber), Qureshi, Ansaris (weavers/Julaha) and Fakir get OBC reservations. In the past, PM Narendra Modi too had underscored backwardness among Pasmanda Muslims, while highlighting his govt's efforts to reach out to the most deprived sections of society with its various welfare schemes. During the BJP national executive meeting in 2022, Modi had made a special mention of the Pasmanda Muslims, suggesting the BJP workers to make special efforts to gain support of the community. This was seen as a reiteration of the party's stand in UP where CM Yogi Adityanath appointed Danish Azad Ansari, a Pasmanda Muslim from Ballia, as minister of state for minority affairs. He is the lone Muslim face in the state cabinet. Subsequently, in 2023 the BJP nominated former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor, also a Pasmanda, as MLC before elevating him as party national vice-president.
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
In closed-door meet, Akhilesh sets record straight on alliance with Congress, Azam ‘sahab'
The two have reportedly been exchanging critical remarks against one another for over a month, fueling rumours of discord within the SP-Congress alliance. Akhilesh Yadav made the assurance while addressing the concerns of minority leaders in his party over ongoing tensions between Saharanpur Congress MP Imran Masood and Saharanpur Dehat SP MLA Ashu Malik, sparked by a public war of words between the two senior Muslim leaders. Lucknow: Amid growing speculations of a rift between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has reaffirmed the strength and continuity of the SP-Congress alliance, saying it will be intact till the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. According to SP functionaries, Akhilesh held a meeting with minority-wing leaders Monday and Pasmanda Muslims Tuesday, discussing their various issues. When several local minority leaders asked if the SP-Congress alliance would continue or not, Akhilesh clarified that it would till the UP assembly polls. Later, when some leaders asked about the ongoing controversy between Imran Masood and Ashu Malik, Akhilesh said, 'Strengthen the party. We have an alliance with the Congress. We have to fight the elections together. We will talk to top leaders in Congress about Imran Masood. It is not a big issue. Neither is he a top leader nor a spokesperson. All of you should focus on allying to win. The BJP has to go in the assembly elections.' Congress MP Imran Masood has continuously been attacking the Samajwadi Party for the last few weeks, saying that the Congress does not need any crutches in UP. Claiming a declining Muslim leadership within the Samajwadi Party, Congress MP Masood also said the 80-17 formula will not work this time in the UP assembly elections. Though the Congress party contested only 17 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP as a part of its alliance with the SP last time, Masood has claimed that the party has been preparing to contest elections on 200 assembly seats in the state. Azam Khan 'harassment' At the meeting with Muslim leaders, Akhilesh Yadav advised local SP leaders to ignore disputes with Congress to ensure the alliance works smoothly, besides raising the issue of SP leader Azam Khan and his family, ThePrint has learnt. Akhilesh has claimed continued harassment of Azam 'sahab' and his family, with false cases registered against them to send them to jail. 'The entire party stands with Azam sahab,' declared Akhilesh Yadav, a senior leader later confirmed to ThePrint. According to the senior leader, many politicians, from Asaduddin Owaisi to Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, do not raise the Azam Khan issue as aggressively as expected. However, the Samajwadi Party leadership has now decided to raise the issue in every meeting in the areas with a significant minority population. Speaking to ThePrint, Shakeel Nadvi, the SP minority wing state president, said, 'The meeting was about the issues of minorities. We have made it clear to our leadership that we are ready to do everything to make Akhilesh ji CM, once again, since he is the most visionary leader of the country. We have also raised the issue of our senior leader, Azam Khan. The BJP government is continuously harassing his family. We should raise the issue before every minority.' SP's minority wing functionaries have conveyed to Akhilesh Yadav that there is no issue with minority representation in the party's ticket distribution and that government formation is the priority in the upcoming UP assembly polls, ThePrint has learnt. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: No air conditioning, no marriage: Agra bride walks out on wedding, dowry case follows
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
India bloc intact; SP to contest 2027 UP polls as part of it: Akhilesh
LUCKNOW Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the INDIA bloc is intact and asserted that his party will contest the 2027 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh as part of the opposition grouping. The former chief minister also said that the SP is fully prepared for the panchayat polls likely to be held in the state early next year. To a query on a recent statement by Congress MP Imran Masood regarding seat sharing between the SP and the Congress in 2027, Yadav said: 'We are not bothered about any such bloc is intact and we are firmly with it. Those who are unhappy can walk alliance will contest the elections together.' A few days back, Masood had told media: 'We (Congress) will contest with all our might. And if there is any understanding, it will have to be respected mutually. The seat-sharing formula for the 2024 Lok Sabha election will not work in 2027.' Both the Congress and SP are members of the opposition INDIA bloc, which was formed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to take on the BJP. The SP won a whopping 37 LS seats while the Congress's tally was revised from zero to six, giving it a new life in the state. On Tuesday, the SP chief met representatives of Pasmanda Muslims and assured them of taking note of the issues faced by the community. Yadav also said he will ensure that issues faced by the weavers' community are included in the party manifesto for the upcoming elections. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Yadav said: 'The BJP government has ruined electricity infra, healthcare and education system. If the proposal sent by the BJP government to increase power tariff is implemented, then electricity will be very expensive. Business and industries will not be able to run. It will become difficult to even charge mobile phones.' 'The quality of primary schools has are not going to schools. The government has ruined secondary schools along with primary schools. Healthcare services have collapsed and medical colleges do not have staff and resources as per standards,' added the SP chief. Speaking on the inclusion of the Pasmand community in PDA, Yadav said, 'PDA is united against the misrule, injustice, atrocities and corruption of the BJP government. It is an emotional alliance that includes all people who are suffering, unhappy and insulted by the BJP government. The Pasmanda community is a part of PDA. When the SP forms government, the Pasmanda community will be given full political respect.' The former UP CM further attacked the BJP government on the issue of unemployment, alleging that business, jobs and employment were not on the agenda of the BJP government. 'The government has not even purchased 20% of the wheat. The chief minister had gone out to do an aerial survey of crops. Aerial surveys are done by those people who cannot face the farmers. All the figures of the government are false. Crop purchase centres were not opened at many places including Kannauj,' said the SP chief. He said people responsible for the June 12 Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad must tender their resignations. 'Think about the accident that happened in Ahmedabad, no one has resigned till now. Think about what happened -- one moment they were alive, the next moment they were not. In so few seconds, people lost their lives. Where the aircraft fell, how many doctors died? How many people lost their family members,' asked Yadav. .
The Print
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
Economically weaker sections, women will benefit from registration of Waqf properties: Jagdambika Pal
The BJP MP was the chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament which had examined the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha in August last year and submitted its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30. Pal's remarks came against the backdrop of media reports that the Minority Affairs Ministry may soon launch the 'Umeed' portal for the registration of Waqf properties under the newly enacted law. New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI) Pasmanda Muslims, women and children of the minority community will benefit from the registration of Waqf properties on a centralised platform under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, BJP MP Jagdamika Pal said on Tuesday. 'The name of that law that we passed is Umeed 2025… Now the Umeed Act is going to be launched under which (documents of) all Waqf properties will have to be uploaded (on the Umeed portal) within six months,' Pal told PTI Videos when asked about the likely launch of the portal. According to media reports, the 'Umeed' portal may be launched this week. However, there is no official confirmation on its schedule from the government. Pal said that the registration of Waqf properties on the centralised portal will stop their misuse and benefit economically weaker Pasmanda Muslims, women, children and others in the minority community. With the registration, the Minority Affairs Ministry will have 'complete information' about the total number of Waqf properties in the country, the BJP MP said. 'This will stop the misuse of Waqf,' he said, adding the Waqf properties were illegally sold earlier due to lack of information about them. The BJP leader said that the registration of Waqf properties on the portal will also increase their 'income' as the newly enacted law provides for their audit to be carried out by the auditors appointed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. 'Its benefit will go to poor Pasmanda Muslims,' he added. The Waqf (Amendment) Act came into force with the Centre notifying it on April 8. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) bill post-midnight on April 3 and April 4 respectively, and President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to it on April 5. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) bill post-midnight on April 3 and April 4 respectively, and President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to it on April 5. The apex court is hearing several petitions related to the law. PTI PK RT This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India Today
11-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Caste survey: Dharmendra Pradhan assures fair play, says OBC Muslims will be supported just like others
The Narendra Modi government's decision to include a caste survey in the forthcoming Census has BJP critics terming it a U-turn and the Congress claiming that its pressure forced the ruling party's hand. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan disagrees and underlines that for the BJP and the Modi dispensation, affirmative action has never been about vote-bank discusses why the BJP changed its stand on the caste survey, the intricacies of the exercise, and why the survey must focus on 'backwardness' rather than 'religion'. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Anilesh S. Mahajan:advertisementQ. The caste survey will now be part of the census. Some see it as the BJP's U-turn on the issue.A. For us, social justice is not a political issue but social responsibility. Affirmative action isn't about vote-bank politics. It's about accountability and justice. We gave constitutional backing to the OBC Commission in 2018. Earlier, the 27 per cent OBC quota was only partially implemented. Prime Minister Modi brought in a law in 2019, ensuring a 100-point institutional roster to be followed till the quota is filled. This isn't vote-bank politics; it's our commitment. Q. Critics argue the caste survey may play a divisive role.A. Social harmony requires systemic reform. You can't undo centuries of deprivation in just 78 years of independence. A caste survey will help understand the exact composition of society, which in turn enables better What is the BJP's view on the Rohini Commission report and sub-categorisation within OBCs?A. There are some models in the states. In Bihar, the Nitish Kumar-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government has done the sub-categorisation. Some southern states have also done it. The concept of 'creamy layer' is there as well. But first, we should have the basic database—the Rohini Commission is part of that process. Sub-categorisation will help identify the most backward within the OBCs, ensuring better-targeted support.Q. How will the BJP address concerns about OBC Muslims or Pasmanda Muslims?A. The Constitution recognises backwardness, not religion. OBC Muslims will be identified and supported just like others.Q. Some states did caste surveys, but Muslims were treated as a separate bloc for reservations. Is that problematic?A. Surveys must focus on backwardness, not religion. Some states have tried clubbing Muslims separately, which the Supreme Court has objected to. The idea is not to fragment society but to identify and support the truly deprived—regardless of religion.Q. What's your view on state-level caste surveys, such as in Karnataka?A. Many caste surveys were flawed and driven by political motives. Karnataka is an example where even the state doesn't know what to do with the Even the Sangh Parivar has concerns that caste surveys may threaten Hindu unity or promote identity politics.A. Our society is built on five pillars—language, caste, religion, geography and economic status. Acknowledging these realities doesn't weaken unity. We aspire for a society with samajik samrasta (social harmony). Even among savarnas, PM Modi ensured that the EWS (economically weaker sections) get the benefits of reservation. Our initiatives are aimed at removing poverty, not reshaping cultural identities.Q. The BJP's core support base has traditionally been upper castes, but now you have growing support from Dalits and OBCs. What changed?A. For decades, the BJP and its earlier avatar Jana Sangh worked in communities through roti-beti relations. Even in the 1990s, we had leaders such as Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti and Shivraj Singh Chouhan who became pillars of the party. Our organisational strength and clarity of purpose have helped gain trust across all sections.Q. The Congress and Rahul Gandhi claim their relentless campaign compelled the Modi government to back down and agree on doing a caste survey.A. The Congress has always used backward communities as vote-banks, not empowered them. Just compare our track-record with theirs. No one takes Rahul Gandhi's rhetoric to India Today MagazineTune InMust Watch
