Much significance is being attached to this meeting between RSS former boss and Kalbe Sadiq who is vice-president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

After the meeting Sudarshan and Kalbe Sadiq appealed to people of the state not to vote on the basis of caste and creed. They said people should vote to the honest and competent persons and they should not judge anybody according to her or his religion. They also advocated for electoral reforms.

Samajwadi Party leader Mohd. Azam questioned the agenda of this meeting and urged Sudarshan and Kalbe Sadiq to share the discussions at their meeting with people of the state.

Another bomb was exploded when Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid during his Lucknow visit said that UPA government would bring the legislation in winter session to give six per cent reservation to backward Muslims in OBC quota.

Shocked by the observation, Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son and state SP President Akhilesh Yadav and Mohd Azam Khan criticized Congress Party and UPA government for playing politics for Muslim votes.

Samajwadi Party leaders demanded that UPA government should implement the recommendations of Ranganath Mishra and Sachchar Committee reports in the interest of Muslims.

Mulayam Singh Yadav said during his tenure as chief minister, the percentage of Muslims in police recruitment was 16 per cent which was all time high in the state. He alleged that during current BSP regime, the percentage of s recruitment was only 1.5 per cent.

SP leaders alleged that during the regimes of BSP and Congress, Muslim community was neglected by both the governments.

SP leader Mohd. Azam Khan, who is Muslim face of the party, blamed Congress for the demolition of Babri mosque in Ayodhya hurting the sentiments of Muslims all over the world.

On the other hand, chairman of Muslim Itehaad-e-millat, Siraj Mehendi said that Muslims were busy in forgetting the past incidents and learn lesson from them. He is of the opinion that Congress alone can improve the socio-economic conditions. He also said that Muslims were moving ahead with time now.

BSP supremo and chief minister Mayawati had already written several letters to Prime Minister seeking reservations to Muslims

Mayawati blamed Congress for ignoring the claims of Muslims and not giving reservations’ to them.

Chief Minister Mayawati repeatedly claimed that her government had taken so many decisions to safeguards the interests of Muslim community.

Significantly enough the emergence of Peace Party in eastern UP with the support of Muslims has unnerved all political parties claiming to be enjoying the support of minority community.

During by-polls held in UP, Peace Party of Dr Ayub and his candidates did well in Dumaiaganj and Lakhimpur Kheri. Dr Ayub demonstrated his hold over the Muslim community and his capacity to transfer his vote to upper caste candidates. The Muslim turf is now open and all the contending political parties in UP are trying for getting larger share in the pie through their sops and intensive campaign amongst the community. The battle lines are still being drawn. (IPA Service)