The colourful e-rickshaw with a mike tied at the roof and covered with the posters of Rahul Gandhi as enters the bumpy streets of Harikothi Road, near the historic Shaheen Bagh, Altaf said, “Muslims ko boka mat samjhiye, humko pata hai kaun mujhe dekhta hai aur kaun nahi (Don’t consider Muslims as silly, we know it well who care for us). His e-rickshaw that until yesterday was used for the campaign of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra that is going to enter Delhi on December 24, is back to its normal schedule but the enthusiasm is intact.
In Delhi, almost for a decade Congress has been consistent in its poor electoral performance. The latest MCD elections where the grand old party won only 9 out of 250 wards nevertheless gave them a silver-line of hope in the Muslim dominated localities in the city. From Okhla Vihar to Shaheen Bagh, from Zakir Nagar to Batla house, in this MCD elections Muslims have again reposed their faith in the old guard. And Bharat Jodo Yatra is now the occasion to showcase the garnered strength.
Ariba Khan, the newly elected councilor from ward no 188 (Abul Fazl) tells Outlook, “People have huge enthusiasm across the region. It is not limited to the Muslim localities in anyway but yes, Muslims from this area will join the yatra in numbers.”
Muslim votes have significantly shifted back to Congress from Aam Admi Party (AAP) in this election. “Basically, 7-8 years back when AAP came into existence, it created a façade that they are the Messiah of the minorities. They picked up the issues those were sensitive to the Muslim population. However, with the time people realised the farce,” says daughter of former Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan.
Referring to the reasons behind Muslims’ reposing faith on Congress, the alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia continues, “People here though primarily bought the AAP’s propaganda, things changed with CAA-NRC protests. Delhi CM during this time said ‘give me Delhi police and I will vacate the protest side immediately’. He referred to Shaheen Bagh where mostly the Muslim women were protesting.” This thing, as Ariba notes, was etched in the minds of the people.
However, it was not limited to it. During covid period, the former MLA of Congress Asif Mohammad Khan says, “Delhi CM held Markaz gathering responsible for the spread of the virus.”
“Muslims then again saw their actual colour. In different states, Muslims when find any competent force that can fight communalism, they vote for them. The parties, whatever it be- BSP, TMC, SP or anything- at least primarily works toward wiping the tears of the minority. But the AAP didn’t even do it,” adds Khan, who even after losing the elections to AAP’s Amanatullah Khan, has formidable political clout in the locality.
“After December 15 incident at Jamia Milia Islamia where Delhi police brutally lathi charged the students who were peacefully reading at their library, not even once the Delhi CM came here to see them,” says Mohsin, who is currently the secretary of youth Congress in Delhi. These incidents made the Muslims believe that the Congress is the only secular force that can fight for the people, adds the youth leader.
According to Asif Mohammad Khan, the situation was totally different during the Congress regime. “I still remember one incident of Jamia Milia Islamia in 1998-99 when a few students had mistakenly beaten an ACP who was in the civil dress. The police came with its full force and picked them up randomly and had put them behind the bars. Then the CM Sheila Dixit personally came to meet the injured students in hospital, and not only that, she visited them in Tihar Jail as well. Ultimately, the cases against them were withdrawn,” Khan says.
However, now Kejriwal didn’t even bother to stand by the victims of Delhi pogrom of February, 2022, says Ariba. “Our performance in the Muslim localities, I believe, is a stepping stone for Congress. It gives a big message that you cannot exploit and amnupulate Muslims anymore,” adds the young councilor.
In this backdrop Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is one of the biggest assignments for them. “People are coming in numbers to our office where we are sanctioning identity cards to attend the Yatra. The route of Yatra though will barely cover any residential locality, still, there will be lakhs of people,” says the former MLA.
Talking about the importance of the Yatra Ariba says, “Rahul Gandhi’s message of love in the time of hatred is what makes him different from the others. Tonight, none of us are going to sleep. We will directly meet Rahul ji at the Badarpur border where from his Delhi leg of Yatra will start.”
Though the Yatra is scheduled to pass through Mathura Road to culminate at India Gate, sources said that it might be forced to take the ring road. “BJP is so feared of this Yatra that they started with the Covid protocols and now are trying to deter Rahul Ji from reaching India Gate. They may try to block us at Ashram and even scuffle may break out,” Khan tells Outlook.
“However, the final decision is with the high command. If they want us to change the route, we will follow,” adds Khan.
The Muslims have put their weight behind the Gandhi scion but what about the allegations of peddling soft-Hindutva against him? The Jamia graduate is very clear in her position: “If Rahul ji’s visit to temple is appeasement, then what will you say about Priyanka Gandhi rushing to the India Gate after the Jamia violence? Congress believes in equality and that’s why we want to be with all the religions equally.”
The Yatra is supposed to reach Srinagar by January 26 where Rahul Gandhi will hoist the National Flag. “He has to cover almost 850 kms in very short time. So, he is bypassing a few areas. Otherwise, had he been through Kalindi Kunj road that flanks the Muslim localities of Jamia Nagar, there would have been lakhs of people on the streets,” says Khan, Ariba’s father.
The Yatra will start its Delhi leg around 6 am tomorrow from Badarpur border and will reach India Gate by the evening. Then, the senior Congress leader who has already covered almost 3500 kms will take a few days’ rest ahead of kickstarting the final leg toward Kashmir.
