‘Fielding Nawab Malik is part of BJP's plan to reduce Muslim MLAs’

“Nawab Malik of NCP (Ajit Pawar) is certain to be fielded against me in the upcoming assembly election,” Samajwadi Party's three-time MLA from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar, Abu Azmi, 69, said on Thursday.

- Bhai!-ya Gaiara

He was taking part in the FPJ Dialogue programme at the Free Press Journal office at Nariman Point.

Azmi said Malik, a former minister and sitting MLA from Anushakti Nagar, cannot win the poll from Mankhurd, but he can create trouble. He said fielding Malik is a part of the BJP's plan to reduce Muslim legislators in the state after “wiping out” Muslims in the legislative council. Azmi, who is also the Samajwadi Party's state president, alleged that the decision is not to win the seat but to reduce his (Azmi's) votes.

Azmi also accused the BJP of trying to polarise voters on religious lines. He said BJP MLAs like Nitesh Rane are openly talking of entering mosques and attacking Muslims. “Till date no concrete action has been taken against him despite the brazen violation of law. BJP leader and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is not serious about taking any action against Rane,” he alleged, adding that Muslims feel insecure and, like in the Lok Sabha elections, they will vote en masse for secular candidates who can defeat the BJP and its allies.