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A letter, signed by 61 prisoners from Arthur Road Jail, all convicts in the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blast case, appealed to the Muslim community to boycott the Congress, NCP and the Samajwadi Party in the forthcoming Mumbai Municipal elections.
After the Friday prayers, in many south Mumbai mosques recently, volunteers distributed copies of a hand-written letter. The letter, signed by 61 prisoners from Arthur Road Jail, all convicts in the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blast case, appealed to the Muslim community to boycott the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Samajwadi Party in the forthcoming Mumbai Municipal elections. The letter was apparently smuggled out of the high-security jail. The signatories of the four-page letter with the headline, ‘A message to the Muslim community from the convicts of ’93 blasts’ include seven Hindu convicts as well. Convict Ehtesham Shaikh, said it was written solely to awaken the Muslims. However, if the Muslims acted contrary, they would be dealt with accordingly on Qayamat (Doomsday), he added.
The letter says the Muslim politicians as well as the state government had totally neglected the TADA accused. The letter says: “It is the Congress which foisted the charge of treason on us.” The appeal mentions the names of Muslim leaders including a former chief minister, ministers, MPs, MLAs and corporators who “did not make any effort to help the TADA detainees.”
Though the letter clearly asks community members to vote against the Congress, NCP and the SP, it does not say who to vote for. The letter asks the community to vote for “a just government.” The letter says: “You should realise the conspiracy of the satanic powers of political parties like Congress, NCP and those part of the UPA. These parties include Muslim leaders who have been misguiding our entire community about our case.
“We request you to boycott these fraudulent parties in these BMC elections. It was during the Congress regime that we were initially charged with sedition without any proof. Although the charge was removed later, we cannot get rid of being labelled as traitors. The entire nation including the Muslim community, knows well that the 1993 blasts were a consequence of the Babri Masjid demolition and the subsequent brutal police atrocity on Muslims. Soon after the blasts, a fresh crop of Muslim leaders emerged, who promised a speedy trial under IPC. Sadly, Muslims believed them and elected them.In spite of the Justice Sri Krishna Commission report indicting police officers, rioters and leaders, none of them have been convicted even under the IPC, forget slapping them with TADA, like we were.Until Sanjay Dutt was in jail, Sunil Dutt strongly protested against TADA, but after Sanjay was granted bail, did anyone see Sunil continue his protest? Have the Muslims also forgotten that Sanjay was rightfully found to be an accused under TADA before the Supreme Court in 1994? Sanjay can go to Nashik and speak to underworld elements on the phone, yet he still deserves to live with his family.
Our biggest crime is we are Muslims. Yet we hope despite these shortcomings, our Muslim brethren have some spark left in their hearts to burn the palaces of these brutal rulers…” said the letter.
Sarfaraz Turk, son of Abdul Gani Turk, one of the convicts, said: “We have no issues with the Shiv Sena, but we will not trust the Congress, NCP and the Samajwadi Party henceforth. That’s why we have written this letter and our jailed relatives have signed it. Dus baar marne se koi ek baar mare to chalega. Isliye hamein Shiv Sena manzoor hai (Better to die once than be tormented 10 times. That is why the Shiv Sena is acceptable to us). Sarfaraz said that the letter, which is both in Urdu and Hindi, has been distributed across the city.
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