BackMuzaffarnagar riots will cost SP politically: Azam Khan
SP leader Azam Khan on Muzaffarnagar riots and their likely impact on his party ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha election
Premium(Ramesh Pathania/Mint)
Rampur: The so-called Muslim face of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh, Azam Khan, has been accused of asking the police to go slow in controlling the recent riots in Muzaffarnagar in which 62 people were killed. Khan claims the clashes were the doing of fascist forces that want to shake Muslims’ sense of security in the state, as they did in Gujarat—a reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the 2002 riots in the western state under its rule.
Born in Rampur, 65-year-old Khan, UP’s urban development minister, is one of the founding members of the SP. In an interview, at his brainchild and pet project Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, Khan spoke about the Muzaffarnagar riots in August-September and their likely impact on his party ahead of the Lok Sabha election next year. Edited excerpts:
How do you perceive the recent communal violence in Muzaffarnagar district?
It was not a Hindu-Muslim riot. The relations of the residents there have been very good from the very beginning... There was no discrimination. And because of this, there was a strong unity among farmers. Even in the Lok Dal, Hindus and Muslims had strong relations. Now fascist forces are creating a Gujarat-like situation in the entire country.
The Congress party is handing over power to the BJP on a silver plate; it is setting the ground for the BJP. If the third front, which (can happen) if all regional parties come together, comes to power, then it will be very difficult for the Congress to come back…like what happened in UP. When the BJP comes to power, a Hindu state will be created, which will lead to a political revolt. And the decision that the people will take after five years will be against the BJP. And obviously the only alternative for people then will be the Congress. So, for five years the Congress is willing to stay away from power but not for the sixth year.
Who is to blame for what happened in Muzaffarnagar?
Fascist forces including the BJP and the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) are behind this. The same experiment they did in Gujarat to terrorize Muslims or to divide the votes so that they vote in their favour out of fear. Besides, when Hindus and Muslims fight, it leads to polarization. Muslims are primarily with the SP, the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), the Congress, or the Lok Dal. Eighty percent majority is a huge number. They are not worried if they get divided. But we are a minority and if our votes are divided, we will vanish. They (BJP, RSS) are doing this because when Hindus and Muslims fight, a large block of Hindus will side with them (BJP) and Muslims will either not vote or be terrorized and vote for them thinking of Gujarat and the consequences the community had to face.
There was a strong social compact between Jats and Muslims for more than 600 years and it just collapsed. What went wrong?
What happened in Muzaffarnagar has two consequences—political and administrative. It was our political loss and we are worried about it. However, what I am insisting on is that we can keep our political loss off our minds for now. We have time for that. What we should be worried about is our administrative lacunas. How to maintain law and order? How to make people fear law and order.
I have been asking my government to call a meeting of top officials and decide as a rule when curfew can be imposed. People formed a mob. It became violent. And people died. And only after that a curfew was imposed. I have a slight reservation on it. Curfew should be imposed when you know something is brewing and something bad is about to happen. It should have been imposed when people left Haryana in buses or when only one person was killed. If that would have happened, the situation wouldn’t have been this bad.
Also, Lalu Prasad went to jail, Rasheed Masood went to jail, why can’t officers be sent to jail? We run the system but we don’t decide when to fire. We ask the officers to maintain law and order…do whatever it takes for that. If officers don’t do what they are asked to do, it is not our fault. We make policies. We can’t shoot. We can’t declare a curfew; that happens on the district magistrate’s orders. This is our constitutionally approved hierarchy.
You are saying that the officers in the administration are responsible?
They are more responsible. What is the difference between Gujarat and UP? What happened in Gujarat was state-sponsored; the state let it happen. In fact, the state directed it. On the contrary, in UP, state ordered maintenance of law and order.
It’s the first time since independence that rural India witnessed such a bloody communal clash?
This is not true. What happened on 6 December in Ayodhya was in the rural areas.
You are accused of fanning the situation. In fact, it is said you got two cops transferred following a sting operation by a television channel.
This is beyond my powers. Transferring people is the job of the home department. If it is my sting, it should include me, right? How is it related to me in any way? How can the anchor put words in the mouth of someone and then blame me. I don’t want to give explanations to anyone on this. We have such advanced technology now. You can check the mobiles, landlines to see who talked to whom and for how long.
You are known as the viceroy of Muslims in UP. Do you think in a situation like the recent violence, this tag is a boom or a curse?
All the political parties together don’t have such a huge Hindu team as I do. I am not the leader of Muslims. People are trying to attach this tag with me. The RSS is trying to make me the leader of only Muslims to isolate me from the Hindu society. Attempts are made to make me look like a villain. Everyone in UP knows that I am not a crook, that I am a just man, a hard worker and a strict man. I have proved over time that I respect all religions. These are all attempts to spoil my image. If there are problems among Muslims that are just, I work for them. If I think of the well-being of Muslims, it doesn’t mean I am thinking against any Hindu.
People on social networking sites have compared you to Narendra Modi (chief minister of Gujarat during the riots and now the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate). They say you are to Muzaffarnagar violence what Modi was to Gujarat riots. How do you feel about it?
These people are all engaged and paid by him (Modi). Declare me as the prime ministerial candidate as well if I am compared to Modi.
How do you think this polarization will figure in the elections?
Samajwadi Party isn’t a party of Muslims and Yadavs. What the fascist forces did, it will boomerang and prove fatal for them instead. People have already started realizing.
How badly is your party affected by the violence?
Muzaffarnagar isn’t (the whole of) UP. The results of the schemes that we have for Muslims are coming out. Why do riots happen only in the SP rule? Muslims need to understand this. These things happen because we work for the welfare of Muslims and we try to remove the sense of inferiority among them; to remove the sense of security and this confidence from Muslims, these riots are organized.
Is this divide permanent?
Communal sentiments don’t last long. The proof is 6 December. 6 December wasn’t repeated. It was just a momentary decision and such craziness (junoon) is ephemeral.
You have been called a drama queen by many. You get upset with (SP chief) Mulayam Singh, leave the party, skip meetings and then come back. Is all this a publicity stunt?
No. We have many fights as well…many disagreements. But we are never disrespectful to each other. When he doesn’t agree to what I say, I leave quietly and he understands that I am upset. I am human. I am not a stone. I get hurt. I have sentiments.
What have you done for UP in all these years as a minister?
Whoever comes to me with his genuine demand, I help him get justice. There is no village, no corner, which hasn’t heard me speak. What have others done here? Rampur was run by nawabs. No one could study. No one could walk on the road where the nawab walked. No one could build houses. All this changed because of me. I brought a revolution here.
If you are so popular, you could have stopped what happened in Muzaffarnagar.
You think I didn’t? I did. I cannot tell you all that I did because a judicial enquiry has been ordered and there are many legal implications.
How do you feel about the recent controversy around the ordinance on convicted lawmakers?
If a political decision is taken once, it shouldn’t be taken back. If it was wrong, why was it passed? Who are these people who are running such a big country? If it was passed by the cabinet, and was sent to the President, Rahul Gandhi (whose outburst against the ordinance forced his Congress party to withdraw it) should have known that time has passed to express reservations.
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