Kejriwal meets Muslim clerics for Jan Lokpal movement

Uttar Pradesh, November 14, 2011: Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal met several Muslim clerics and intellectuals here Monday to garner support from the minority community for the Jan Lokpal movement, officials said.

According to sources in India Against Corruption (IAC), Kejriwal’s meetings were also aimed to counter the Congress’ allegation that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and not Muslims, were supporting the Jan Lokpal movement.

“Though corruption affects all of us, it hits the poor and downtrodden the most. And due to the poor financial conditions of our Muslim brothers, they get more affected by corruption,” Kejriwal told reporters.

“It’s our hard-earned money that is being misused… We all should get united for fighting corruption, which in turn would help in development of our country,” he added.

IAC officials claimed clerics and intellectuals, whom Kejriwal met, assured him to extend their full support to the Jan Lokpal movement.

“Those representing the minority community in the meeting were of the view that irrespective of caste, creed and religion, people of the country should come forward to root out the social menace,” said an IAC activist of Lucknow.

– ians

Muslim Clerics give cold shoulder to Kejriwal in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh, November 14, 2011: Team Anna’s move to clear the air over Muslim’s aversion to its anti-graft stir, fell flat with most of the clerics turning down their invitation to attend a one to one session with Team Anna’s core committee member Arivind Kejriwal. The only solace being that one Imam of Teele Wali Masjid confirming his presence of the event which is scheduled on Monday. The remaining clerics are interested in meeting the activist at their residences only.

Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to attend several programmes in Lucknow on Monday. The Indian Against Corruption (IAC) planned to invite the Muslim clerics in one such seminar to be organised at SIPS auditorium for interaction with Kejriwal. It was planned that the meeting will clear the misconception among Muslims and wins their support. Invitations for the same were extended to major clerics of Lucknow.

However on Sunday most of the declined and expressed their inability to attend the meet. They want Kejriwal to personally come to their residence, which appears highly unlikely. Vice-President, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Kalbe Sadiq admitted that IAC coordinator RK Agrawal met him and extended Kejriwal’s invite to meet me. However Sadiq stated that it was not an invitation for any meeting but his willingness to meet me.

“I agreed to meet him as my doors are open to everyone. When I can meet Sudarshan why not him (Kejriwal). I was informed about his willingness to meet me. No body invited me to any meeting at some other place,” remarked Sadiq.

Another cleric, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli stated “I have not received any invitation. But even if I get one, he should come to meet me if he wants. I would not go to meet him,” said Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali.

However, the organizers remained hopeful that the clerics will be coming to meet Kejriwal. IAC Co-ordinator, RK Aggrawal claimed that he met some clerics personally and called up several of them and they had given their consent.

Besides Maulana Sadiq, Maulana Fazlur-Rahman, IAC had also approached President, All India Women’s Personal Law Board, Shaista Amber, Padmashree Dr Mansoor Hasan Shaher Qazi, Maulana Irfan Farangi Mahali for the meeting and some others. However, only time will tell, how many of them turn up for the meeting.

– faisal fareed, tcn