The representatives of a much-respected shrine for Bengali Muslims, Furfura Sharif did not extend invites to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders at an event organised to distribute clothes to the needy during the holy month of Ramzan.
Interestingly, leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) along with Biman Basu, Minorities Development and Welfare and Madrasa Education Minister, Abdus Sattar and former Housing Minister Gautam Deb and expelled MLA Abdur Razzak Mollah were present at the present.
Asked why no TMC leader was invited to the event, Faruque Ahmed, one of the main organisers, said that the TMC leaders were not invited because of their false promises of development of the minority community.
However, last year former TMC general secretary Mukul Roy and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim were present. Though the organisers had nothing against Mr. Roy who has been sidelined by the party, they said that TMC leaders have not been invited at the event as they have not lived up to their promises.
“We have boycotted the TMC because they have not done anything for Muslims apart from making hollow claims of development,” Mr. Ahmed told The Hindu .
Even though he emphasised the necessity to keep religion and politics separate, CPI (M) leader Gautam Deb used the opportunity to attack the TMC. “We will oust Mamata Banerjee from power,” he said.
He, however, cautioned if religion and politics get intermixed it will create an explosive situation.
Left Front chairperson Biman Basu also added that compared to the claims made by Mamata Banerjee, there have been no improvement of situation of minorities in the State
Expelled CPI-M leader and former Land Reforms Minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah wondered how could Muslims, who form 30 per cent of the population in Bengal, be regarded as minorities. “With such heavy numbers, Muslims should be the deciding factor in electoral politics in Bengal. I wonder why they are called minorities,” Mr. Mollah said.
He also criticised both the Left Front and the TMC for failing to improve the condition of minorities in Bengal.
Furfura Sharif pirzada Ibrahim Siddiqui also criticised the government on development and said that the State government has failed to set up a Muslim university.
