Former Sedition Accused Now Embraced by BJP
Shakir Hussain, a former two-time Mukhiya, faced sedition charges after a video purportedly showing chant of "Pakistan Zindabad" in his nomination rally surfaced during his Panchayat election nomination. After being acquitted due to lack of evidence, he has now joined the Bharatiya Janata Party
Giridih/Ranchi: Allegations of raising ‘Hail Pakistan’ slogans or supporting Pakistani sports teams have always been a weapon used by right wing supporters to malign and slap sedition charges on Muslims.
Last year in April, a video surfaced showing Pakistan Zindabad sloganeering during the nomination of one Shakir Hussain. Hussain, a two time Mukhiya was filing his nomination papers to get elected for the third time in Jharkhand’s Panchayat elections. The viral video was played by all the mainstream media channels as well as by right wing influencers. Soon, the two times Mukhiya was not only slapped with Section 124A (sedition) and Section 153A (disturbing public peace) but arrested too.
Hussain was sent to jail along with four others. He remained behind bars and lost the election.
However, several fact-checking organizations found that the video was doctored and that no Pakistan Zindabad slogan was raised during the nomination rally of Hussain.
After serving jail for 23 days, Hussain came out of the jail. Later police also did not find any eyewitnesses and the case got quashed.
Hussain joined Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday. And he has been wholeheartedly welcomed by state BJP leaders. State President Babulal Marandi garlanded Hussain in the presence of several party leaders. The former chief minister also tweeted about the joining of the former Mukhiya.
“I like the functioning of Babulal Marandi so wanted to work under his leadership, therefore I joined BJP,” Hussain told eNewsroom.
But isn’t it the same party and group that has accused you of raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogan?
“I am told, there was no local involved in it. It was done by some outside people,” he added.
However, even Hussain’s family members are not with him in this. “The villagers and the family members who had stood with him, when he was accused of hailing Pakistan, are not supporting his move to join BJP,” claimed a family member, on condition of anonymity.
“We told him, it is the same people with the same ideology that brought the worst phase of his life and tried to stop him from joining saffron brigade, but he was adamant,” said the family member.
Hussain, panchayat Dokodih falls under the Gandey assembly and Koderma Lok Sabha constituency. Gandey and Koderma will have simultaneous polls for assembly and parliament. As former chief minister Hemant Soren, is in jail, his wife Kalpana Soren will be contesting the election from Gandey. BJP is eyeing every single vote to strengthen its position as Kalpana is reportedly getting massive sympathy in her favour.
We tried reaching out to BJP district president Mahadev Dubey for his comment on this, but he could not be contacted.
