Mamata created Hindu-Muslim divide, did more harm than good to Muslims: Abbas Siddiqui

Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui, theinfluential cleric of of Muslim shrine Furfura Sharif, who hasmuddied the political waters of West Bengal with the launch ofIndian Secular Front (ISF), feels the Mamata Banerjeegovernment has done more harm than good to the Muslims bycreating a Hindu-Muslim divide.

The 34-year-old cleric is trying to forge an alliancewith the Congress-CPI(M) combine as also the AIMIM ofHyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi ahead of the assembly polls,after the TMC gave him the cold shoulder.

Siqqiqui asserts his newly floated political outfitwill prove to be the 'Kingmaker' in the state which roughlyhas 30 per cent Muslim voters.

He also rejects as baseless the accusation that he hasdecided to jump into the electoral arena to cut into the TMC'sMuslim vote base, assiduously nurtured by Banerjee over thelast ten years, and has no hesitation calling the ruling party''Communal and vindictive''.

''In the last 10 years, the TMC government has onlyfooled the Muslims and Dalits. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeehas done nothing for them. She has only created a perceptionthat this government is doing a lot for the Muslim communityonly to serve her political interests,'' he said in aninterview with PTI.

Siddiqui said the perception of ''Muslim appeasement''has led to a rift between the Hindus and Muslims.

''The BJP worked overtime to exploit it and rub it inthat Muslims are getting everything and the cost of Hindus.

Mamata Banerjee has done more harm than good to Muslims bycreating this perception,'' he said.

Talking about the alliances his outfit wants to forgeahead of the assembly elections likely in April-May, Siddiquisaid the prospects of a tie-up with the TMC are quite ''slim''.

''We had proposed a Grand Alliance of all parties,including the TMC, to fight the BJP. But our proposal did notelicit any response from the TMC. So now the chances are veryslim,'' he said.

Siddiqui alleged that after his announcement aboutcontesting the elections, the state government has startedharassing ISF supporters by implicating them in false cases.

''They (the TMC) will get a befitting reply for theirarrogance,'' he asserted.

He, however, feels the chances for forging allianceswith the Congress-Left combine and the AIMIM are bright.

Siddiqui said the doors of his organisation are opento all barring the TMC and the BJP.

''We are also in talks with AIMIM. Owaisi Saab told methey will follow us as we know Bengal better,'' Siddiqui, whois fondly called Bhaijaan (elder brother) by his followers,said.

After AIMIM's impressive showing in the recentassembly polls in Bihar, where its candidates won five seatsof the Seemanchal region, Owaisi has declared his prty willalso contest the West Bengal assembly polls. He has visitedWest Bengal quite a few times and also held parleys withSiqqiqui.

After meeting Siddiqui earlier this month, Owaisi hadsaid the AIMIM and ISF will work together in the state.

''We will work behind him and support whatever decisionhe takes,'' Owaisi had said.

Abbas Siddiqui rejected suggestions that his outfitwill be a B-Team of the BJP, an accusation also levelled byMamata Banerjee against Owaisi's party.

''We are not here only to seek Muslim votes but alsobackward community votes. Had the TMC worked for theminorities, there wouldn't have been a need for us to enterthe fray. Everybody has the right to fight elections in ademocracy,'' Siddiqui said.

Owaisi was accused of having acted like a B-Team ofthe BJP after the NDA managed a wafer-thin victory over theRJD-led Grand Alliance in Bihar. Muslims and backwards formthe bedrock of the RJD's support base, and a split in theminority votes was seen as a reason for the oppositionalliance's defeat.

Siddiqui, the first prominent religious figure toenter electoral politics in West Bengal, said nobody wantsMuslims to assume a leadership role.

''It's because I am a Muslim you are raising thisquestion of splitting votes. You won't have asked thisquestion had a Hindu come up with a new political outfit,'' hesaid.

Though Siddiqui remained non-committal about thenumber of seats his outfit will contest, he asserted,''Whateverthe number, we will emerge as the kingmaker after the polls.'' He also accused Banerjee of paving the way for therise of the BJP in the state and now playing the ''victimcard''.

''Mamata Banerjee aligned with the BJP in 1998. She wasin alliance with the BJP till 2006 and was also a unionminister. She was the first leader to rake up the issue ofillegal infiltration from Bangladesh in 2005. The BJP is doingit now. This shows the true colours of people questioning ourcredibility,'' he said.

When asked to comment on the incident when 'Jai ShriRam' slogan was raised at the Victoria Memorial during thebirth anniversary celebrations of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose,Siddiqui said Mamata Banerjee should have ignored it.

''By reacting the way she did, Mamata Banerjee onlyadvertised the slogan. It all seemed staged by her,'' he said.

He also accused the TMC of trying to ''fool'' theminority community with its vociferous opposition to the CAAand NRC.

''They (the TMC) just want to project themselves as thesaviour of Muslims,'' he said.

Comprising around 30 per cent of the state'spopulation, Muslims are widely believed to influence theelection outcome in 100-110 of the state's 294 assembly seats,and have acted as a bulwark for Banerjee's party against anyattempt to upset her applecart.

However, there are apprehensions that a split inMuslim votes due to the presence of parties led by leadersfrom the community could dent her bid for a third straightterm in office.