Vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and eminent Shia cleric Maulana Syed Kalbe Sadiq on Sunday refused to accept the honour conferred on him at a polio eradication programme by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. He walked out even as the programme was under way.
Dr. Sadiq later accused the Samajwadi Party government of betraying the cause of Muslims. In a statement mailed by his son Kalbe Hussain on Sunday night, the Maulana said: “The honour was in contrast to the promises made by the government which are pending.”
Stating that Muslims overwhelmingly supported the Samajwadi Party and helped it get a thumping majority in the Assembly elections, Dr. Sadiq said the “support [of the Muslims] awaits reciprocation from the government.” He said Muslims were “getting disillusioned and feeling betrayed by the government due to the inordinate delay in fulfilling the promises made by it.”
The Maulana said the land for building a girl’s degree college in Lucknow had not been transferred to the Tauheedul Muslimeen Trust managed by him. The land in the Chowk area of old Lucknow for setting up a degree college (English medium) was given in January 2007 by the then Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh. The project was put on the back-burner following the formation of the Bahujan Samaj Party government and owing to his association with the SP, the AIMPLB vice-chairman claimed.
Dr. Sadiq regretted that the land had not been transferred to the Trust despite his having obtained affiliation for the degree college from Lucknow University.
He was among the several religious leaders present at the Chief Minister’s 5, Kalidas Marg official residence in connection with the polio eradication function. They were felicitated for their contribution towards the eradication of the dreaded disease from U.P. Those present included the principal of Nadwatul Ulema, Maulana Saeedur Rahman Azmi; the Imam of Tilewali Masjid, Maulana Fazlur Rehman Waizi Nadwi; Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, the Imam of Aishbagh Idgah and AIMPLB member; the “Shahar Qazi” of Lucknow, Maulana Irfan Mian Firangi Mahali; Father D’Souza and several mahants and granthis of temples and gurdwaras.
At the programme, when the names of the religious leaders were announced for accepting the honour, Dr. Sadiq kept seated. When the Chief Minister walked up to him to drape him with a shawl, he politely declined and was seen saying something to Mr. Yadav. Later, even as the programme was on, Maulana Sadiq left the function.
