Indian Muslim leader calls for joint strategy

Muslim members of Parliament in India should join hands and coordinate with each other to raise minority issues at the legislative body, according to Khaleequr Rahman, a senior Congress leader from Andhra Pradesh.
“They can meet ahead of every Parliament session to chart out an effective strategy to take up the Muslim cause on the floor of the House,” Rahman said during an interaction with the Indian community in Riyadh.
The function was organized by the Andhra Pradesh United Society (APUS).
He said that efforts are being made to create a Secretariat for Muslim parliamentarians in New Delhi.
“Muslims should be present within political parties and should persuade their leadership to solve their problems,” he said. “They should cross political boundaries and party affiliations when it comes to the cause of their community.”
He said that rumors that Mohammed Azharuddin, former Indian cricket captain and party MP from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, will compete from Hyderabad in next year’s elections were being spread by communal forces.
“Their aim is to create tussle between two current Muslim MPs,” he said. “Azhar will not contest from Hyderabad, as it will result in putting two Muslim MP seats at risk.”
He stressed the necessity of increasing the number of Muslims in Parliament, adding that political parties should aim to nominate Muslim candidates from the constituencies where they have more chances of winning.
Rahman, who is also a member of a state-level committee in the AP government to computerize “waqf” records, has said that it will be impossible to manipulate these property records once they are computerized.
“Waqf properties can be protected and used for the development of Muslims,” he said.