HYDERABAD: Ramzan will increase polling percentage of Muslims, All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said while rubbishing claims of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) politician that the “lengthy” election schedule would be problematic for those observing Ramzan.
Speaking to media persons, Owaisi said, “This controversy is uncalled for and unnecessary. I want to request political parties not to use the Muslim community and Ramzan. One must understand that Ramzan will start in India around May 5 depending on Moon sighting. In the country, the election process has to be completed by June 3. Hence, elections have to be there during the Ramzan. It is not possible to culminate elections by May 5.”
Owaisi pointed out that Muslims carry on about their daily work during Ramzan and said, “Muslims will definitely fast in Ramzan and will keep doing their regular work. They lead a normal life -- work and go to the office. My analysis is that this month, which is highly spiritual time for Muslims, would lead to more voting percentage because one will be free from worldly duties.”
TMC leader and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim had stoked a controversy when he questioned the lengthy schedule of the polls and said that it would be problematic for those observing the holy month in Bihar, West Bengal and UP.
‘Reduce fees in Kendriya Vidyalaya’
AIMIM chief Asadudidn Owaisi wrote a letter to Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javdekar asking him to roll back the steep increase in the fees of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kanchanbagh. Owaisi wrote, “The parents of the students enrolled in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kanchanbagh, in my Parliamentary constituency Hyderabad have represented to me that the school authorities have almost doubled the fees per quarter to `6,000.
Earlier the fees per quarter was only `2,745. The steep hike places a huge burden on the parents as they have to pay `24,000 per annum. I therefore, request to please direct the Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad, authorities to drop the hike in quarterly fees immediately.”