The AIMIM leader and Hyderabad MP, Asaddudin Owaisi, has become a forceful political voice of the Muslim community. Something of a firebrand and BJP-baiter, he seldom passes up an opportunity to project his community’s point of view ~ at times even to the annoyance of the clerics and some other radical elements within the minority community’s fold. It was reassuring, therefore, when he came out strongly against the TMC and AAP, among others, who tried to make an “issue” of the Election Commission’s schedule of polling in the holy month of Ramzan. And he cautioned sections of the Opposition “not to speak on behalf of Muslims” by nitpicking over the schedule: that was “an insult” to Muslims. His defence of the schedule carried much more weight than the Law Minister’s rejecting that criticism as a sign of “utter frustration” ~ in keeping with the BJP’s tendency to see political demons in everything By needlessly jumping into the fray, Ravi Shankar Prasad demeaned the impartiality of the Election Commission by fuelling suspicion that it follows the government’s diktat. Surely Nirvachan Sadan is adequately equipped to reject criticism without the debilitating political support of a union minister. The fact that the new Lok Sabha has to be constituted within a specified time-frame was explanation enough. Would the TMC and AAP want elections weeks ahead of schedule? Are there no limits to playing the Muslim card?

Owaisi has enhanced his reputation by stating that “all this talk of Ramzan affecting voting is rubbish. Muslims don’t stop working during Ramzan, they will fast and do other spiritual things, but they will definitely vote. The important part is the EC has to complete the election process before June 3 and constitute Parliament. If they have to do that they have to hold elections during Ramzan. Ramzan starts on May 5 and ends on June 4, so to blame the EC that elections are being held during Ramzan is very crooked. Election Day will be a holiday and even though they may be fasting, Muslims will go out and vote. Do these TMC (leaders) think that during Ramzan Muslims stop working?” He pointed out that Ramzan increases spiritualism in Muslims and, if anything, “elections during this month will only lead to more voting percentage. Wherever elections are held during Ramzan, Muslims vote in higher percentage,” Owaisi contended. The EC may not have statistics to prove or disprove that argument, and it would not be desirable for it to collate such figures. Yet Owaisi has added another dimension to the media’s poll coverage. For like it or not, even though Ramzan is not observed on dates fixed by the conventional calendar, it is inevitable that in times to come polling dates and Ramzan will coincide. The EC has much juggling of dates to do to cater to myriad logistic requirements. It must be spared some avoidable pressure.

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