HYDERABAD: The statement praising the rule of Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan by RSS executive member and Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) patron Indresh Kumar has not only raised many an eyebrow as it deviates completely from the standpoint of its political arm, the BJP, it has also left political analysts scratching their heads and trying to figure out its impact on the saffron party’s future in the State.
At face value, Indresh Kumar’s statements appear to have put the BJP in a fix, since the saffron party has been known to go hammer and tongs at the last Nizam at every given opportunity.
However, some analysts believe that the statement, coming within weeks of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly results, is carefully calculated to further the narrative that close to 9 per cent of Muslims voted for the BJP. The MRM, which claims to have made inroads among Muslims in Uttar Pradesh and now has Telangana on its radar, aims to play an active role in the State in the coming days.
“Yes it’s a fact that about 9 per cent of Muslims have voted for the BJP in UP. But his statement has nothing to do with politics. Post-Ramzan we shall be playing an active role in highlighting State’s failure in addressing Muslim issues. Manch is active in all the districts of Telangana,” said MA Sattar, MRM South India convener.
Observers in UP have pointed out that there is a need for a thorough study to find out how the BJP won in some Muslim majority constituencies, particularly in Western UP which has partially been the basis of the 9 per cent narrative. “There is no reliable database and none of the agencies is able to establish the mainstream narrative. This is the third time this kind of narrative is being pushed immediately after elections,” explained an observer, based in Allahabad.
In Telangana, the BJP state unit has been stoic in its silence while the AIMIM is yet to react officially. However, leaders of the Hyderabad-headquartered party also feel that the statements of Indresh Kumar have dealt a blow to the State BJP’s major anti-Muslim plank based on the alleged atrocities committed by the Nizam’s men. They are also optimistic that Indresh Kumar’s statement would impact the BJP’s longstanding demand to officially celebrate September 17 as ‘Telangana Liberation Day’.
“Will there be a change of plank? Can BJP do away with it? This has obviously created a problem within the Sangh,” said a MIM leader. Meanwhile, the family members of the Nizam, while terming the statement as ‘political’, said that it would be a welcome move if there was no politics attached.
Nizam’s great-grandson Himayat Ali Mirza, who had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi objected to the dragging of the late rule’s name during elections and sent notices to the Election Commission to issue instructions to political parties against making derogatory comments against his ancestor, welcomed the development. “This could be the result of my communication to the PM. The last time I heard Nizam’s name from State BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s mouth was during the Huzurbad bypoll,” Mirza said.
Calculated approach
Some believe that the statement is calculated to further the narrative that closes to 9 per cent of Muslims voted for the BJP.