At a massive rally in Lucknow, the convener of the council, Amir Risadi Nadvi, said they have decided to contest eight seats, including Lucknow, since they could not expect anything from political parties which treated Muslims as votebanks.

This was the council’s second rally — the first had taken place in New Delhi on January 28. If the focus at the Delhi rally was the Batla House encounter, Lucknow’s rally was in protest against the alleged atrocities by security agencies and the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) in Azamgarh district.

Although the speakers, all clerics, criticised politicians in general, Chief Minister Mayawati and ATS, came under a scathing attack by the ulemas.

Issuing a warning, Maulana Amir Risadi Nadvi demanded “an immediate end to the atrocities by the police and the ATS against the Muslims, otherwise the BSP will have to face the music during the Lok Sabha elections.”

“The people around the chief minister, particularly PWD Minister Naseemuddin, are misleading her, but she should realise that ifthe present state of affairs continue, then forget becoming the Prime Minister of India, she may even lose the chief ministership,” said Nadvi.

“We are not aligned with any party. We have no hatred for Bahujan Samaj Party, no love for Samajwadi Party, no emotion for the Congress and no enmity with the BJP,” he added.

Thousands of youths, wearing skull caps, raised anti-Mayawati slogans as they arrived at the Tile Wali Masjid in the Old City. People had come different parts of the state. Two special trains carrying thousands of Muslim youths and clerics had come from Azamagarh. “Mayawati is heading a tyrannical regime which is victimising innocent Muslim youths,” said Maulana Mohammed Alam Kasmi, another cleric.

“Na Bol Jai Bhim, Na Bol Mulayam (Neither support BSP nor SP)” Mufti Abdulla said and appealed Muslims to make a political way for themselves, without being dependent on any political party.

The fresh ties between Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kalyan Singh also came under criticism as speakers accused Yadav of “ditching the Muslims by joining hands with the culprit of the Babri demolition.”

Regarding the Batla House encounter, the council reiterated its demand of a judicial probe. Maulana Nadvi said that he had full sympathy with the family of slain inspector Mohan Chandra Sharma of Delhi Police but it should be probed whose bullet killed him. “We want justice and our struggle will continue till we get it,” he added.

Hardayal Shashtri, a sadhu from Ayodhya whose presence surprised many, said if a large section of the society is demanding a judicial probe into the Batla House encounter, the government should accept it.