Bukhari calls on Mulayam, seeks more Muslim say in governance

Lucknow, April 12 (IANS) An upset Imam Bukhari of the Delhi Jama Masjid met Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Thursday to voice his disappointment over the party denying his brother a Rajya Sabha seat and also demanded fair representation of Muslims in the government.

Emerging out of the hour-long meeting, Bukhari said he was "not seeking any alms from the SP chief but was only batting for the community". He said he was "feeling let down as adequate Muslim representation was not given" in the state cabinet, the legislative council or even the Rajya Sabha nominations.

"Eighty percent Muslims have voted for the SP this time round and Mulayam Singh can only ignore them at his own peril," he warned.

Imam Bukhari also informed that Mulayam Singh Yadav promised him two more Muslim faces in the cabinet of his son Akhilesh Yadav, better representation for Muslim officials in the state government, seat for his son-in-law Umar Khan, and a Muslim candidate for the Legislative Council seat vacated by former chief minister Mayawati.

Imam Bukhari has been cut up for the diatribe senior SP leader Mohd Azam Khan has launched against him and had also threatened the SP chief of severe reaction from the Muslim community if they were not given their due. The hostilities had escalated after Azam Khan called Bukhari a non-entity amongst the Muslim world and dared him to contest the mayoral elections from Moradabad.