Within the remaining section of campaigning for the Maharashtra Meeting elections, BJP leaders, together with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, have repeatedly raised the problem of “Vote Jihad,” arguing that the consolidation of Muslim votes have to be countered by Hindu voters by a “Dharma Yudh” (spiritual warfare). Within the midst of this high-stakes campaigning, Maulana Khalil-ur-Rahman Sajjad Nomani, a 69-year-old Islamic scholar, has discovered himself on the centre of a political storm after releasing a listing urging voters in Maharashtra to assist candidates from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
The checklist, issued final week, requires voters to forged their ballots with the intention of strengthening secularism and guaranteeing the formation of an inclusive authorities. The checklist’s launch didn’t sit properly with the BJP, which has labelled it for instance of “Vote Jihad,” a time period utilized by occasion leaders to recommend an organised effort to consolidate Muslim votes in opposition to BJP candidates. Fadnavis and different BJP leaders, together with Kirit Somaiya, have accused Nomani of encouraging vote-bank politics.
Somaiya filed a proper criticism with the Election Fee, alleging that Nomani’s actions amounted to hate speech and a violation of the mannequin code of conduct.
Who’s Nomani and what has he stated
Shaikh Khalil-ur-Rahman Sajjad Nomani is the son of famend Islamic theologian Maulana Manzoor Nomani. Born in Lucknow, he obtained his early spiritual training at numerous esteemed Islamic seminaries, together with Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh and Madina College in Saudi Arabia.
A detailed affiliate of the late Maulana Wali Rahmani, the previous head of the All India Muslim Private Legislation Board (AIMPLB), Nomani presently serves because the spokesperson for the AIMPLB. Along with his scholarly and non secular pursuits, he runs a number of madrassas and is the pinnacle of the Khanqah Nomaniya Mujaddidiyah, a religious centre positioned in Neral, Raigad district. Nomani can be a distinguished voice within the digital area, with a well-received YouTube channel that boasts over 400,000 subscribers and options greater than 700 movies on Islamic jurisprudence and up to date points.
Politically engaged and assertive, Nomani has lengthy been a advocate for better political mobilisation and political illustration throughout the Muslim neighborhood.
Nevertheless, Nomani is not any stranger to controversy. One such incident occurred in April 2023, when a video surfaced of Nomani delivering a sermon through which he controversially acknowledged, “Don’t ship ladies to highschool or school alone. It’s haram (forbidden).” The remarks sparked widespread criticism, significantly from girls’s rights teams and secular activists, and introduced renewed consideration to his public statements on social points.
Because the 2024 Lok Sabha elections approached, Nomani intensified his political efforts, urging Muslim voters to train their electoral energy extra successfully. His name for political engagement gained additional momentum because the Maharashtra Meeting elections neared. Particularly, he reached out to key leaders of the MVA alliance, together with Nationalist Congress Get together (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, advocating for better Muslim illustration within the state legislature.
“I’ve knowledgeable Sharad Pawar, with supporting knowledge, that there are 25 constituencies the place Muslims can win and contribute to the formation of a secular, democratic authorities in Maharashtra,” Nomani had stated, whereas looking for better variety of seats for Muslim candidates.
On November 13, Nomani took a extra assertive step, releasing a listing of 269 MVA candidates that he claimed ought to be supported within the elections. The checklist additionally included 17 non-MVA candidates, bringing the full variety of really useful candidates to 288, with 23 Muslims amongst them.
On November 14, Nomani issued one other assertion which additional antagonised the BJP. “Our opposition is simply to candidates who’re related to events whose perception is in altering the Structure,” Nomani declared. Whereas in a roundabout way naming the BJP, he instructed that if such forces weren’t checked, the secular cloth of the nation can be in danger.
“In the event that they win within the state, their spirit will likely be excessive, and the central authorities will discover new vigor in pushing its hidden agenda of fixing the Structure. If they’re defeated right here, the federal government within the heart will even fall,” he warned.
What has BJP stated
The BJP was fast to criticise Nomani for his remarks. Somaiya filed a proper criticism in opposition to him, accusing him of selling hate speech and calling for “Vote Jihad.”
Fadnavis additionally joined the fray, criticising Nomani’s statements. “Within the video that has come out, he’s calling for the identification and boycott of those that supported the BJP within the Lok Sabha elections. He additional requires ‘vote jihad,’ naming Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Rahul Gandhi because the leaders of this motion. What sort of politics is that this? We’ve by no means seen such polarisation in politics earlier than. Congress and its allies, within the panic of defeat, are attempting to deliver ahead concepts that divide society and the nation,” Fadnavis stated.
In response to the allegations, Nomani defended his place, questioning the accusations of “Vote Jihad.” “Out of the checklist of 288 candidates I launched, barring 23 candidates, all are Hindus. Is looking for individuals to vote for Hindus now thought-about ‘Vote Jihad’” he stated on Saturday.
