Muslim leaders slam SP for not nominating Muslims to Rajya Sabha

The Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh finds itself embroiled in controversy following backlash from Muslim religious leaders over its choice of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, has criticized the party for not nominating any Muslims among the three candidates named, calling it an "anti-Muslim attitude."

In a letter addressed to the party leadership, Razvi highlighted the significant support the Muslim community has historically lent to the SP, particularly evident in the 2022 Assembly elections where 98% of Muslims reportedly voted for the party.

Despite this support, the SP opted not to allocate any of the three Rajya Sabha seats to Muslim candidates, a move Razvi deems unjust given the community's loyalty and contribution to the party's electoral success.

“I want to bring to your notice a few ground realities. You made a pichada, Dalit and alpsankhyak (Backward Classes, Dalits and Minorities or PDA) grouping, running your campaign on the basis of it. You are fully aware that 98% of Muslims voted for the SP in the 2022 Assembly elections, helping its MLAs to win many seats in an election where many communities, including your own, drifted towards the BJP. Despite this, you chose not to nominate even a single Muslim out of three seats in the Rajya Sabha, while the community deserved two seats. I am pained with this anti-Muslim attitude of yours,” Rizvi wrote in the letter.

Moreover, Razvi accused the SP of weakening the opposition alliance, particularly the INDIA bloc, by allegedly neglecting to accommodate national parties like the Congress. He pointed out that the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), led by Jayant Chaudhary, was compelled to align with the BJP due to dissatisfaction with the SP's approach.

Razvi warned that similar treatment of the Congress, a major national party with a presence in multiple states, could provoke further discontent within the Muslim community and potentially benefit the BJP.

The SP's announcement of its Rajya Sabha candidates, including former MP Ram Ji Lal Suman, retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Alok Ranjan, and Bollywood actor Jaya Bachchan, has further intensified scrutiny.

The candidates submitted their nomination papers amidst a backdrop of criticism, accompanied by SP president Akhilesh Yadav and general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav.

This controversy within the SP underscores broader tensions within Uttar Pradesh's political landscape, particularly regarding minority representation and opposition unity. The SP, traditionally perceived as a champion of social justice and minority rights, now faces scrutiny over its candidate selection process and its handling of coalition dynamics.

As the Rajya Sabha polls draw nearer, the fallout from this controversy could have significant implications for the SP's electoral prospects and the broader political landscape in Uttar Pradesh.