First, the request to avoid cow slaughter and then the visit to Shiva temple — All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) supremo Moulana Badaruddin Ajmal, a known pro-Muslim voice from Assam, has stunned everyone with his overnight pro-Hindu stance.
As part of his four-day long Barak valley visit, Ajmal on Monday visited ‘Sri Sri Baram Baba’, a Shiva temple in Cachar District. He not only entered the mandir, but also posed for a group photo in front of the temple and later had lunch with mandir priests and temple committee members.
His mandir visit immediately caught the attention of netizens, who mocked him for “offering puja”.
Ajmal clarified: “If a Hindu person visits a masjid, do we say he has come to offer namaz? We do not go to mandir-masjid just to worship. My party MLA is running free kitchen for 15,000 poor people here and I just came to appreciate him. The temple committee formally invited me. This is such great act of humanity. Besides, I never entered the temple. I had meal on the other side of the road.”
Earlier in the day, Ajmal, a three-time MP from a Muslim dominated constituency in Assam and a perfume baron, appealed to the community to avoid cow slaughter/sacrifice during the upcoming Eid-Al-Adha festival or Bakri Eid on July 10. He requested Muslims to refrain from slaughtering cows as Hindus consider cow their mother and sacrificing it will hurt their sentiments.
“As majority of Indians are Hindus and they follow Sanatan Dharma, Muslims should not carry out any act that can hurt their sentiments and belief,” he said, referring to Darul Uloom Deoband’s 2008 appeal, stating Muslims should stop sacrificing cattle.
Ajmal’s allies have, meanwhile, alleged that he is planning to ditch the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and cosy up to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of Presidential elections.
Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi said: “Like previous Rajya Sabha Elections, the AIUDF is going to betray the Opposition alliance in Presidential elections too.”
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Borah said, “We were bitten by snake twice. So we will not go near the snake again. For Ajmal, business is more important than politics and that’s why he dances to the CM’s tune.”
Ajmal blamed Borah for the rift and said his party might support NDA’s candidate out of anger and frustration. According to him, his party colleagues are ‘hurt’ by Borah’s baseless accusations.
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