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Patna,(BiharTimes): The silence by the Janata Dal (United) bigwigs over the roughing up of party MP, Monazir Hasan, by the BJP workers, who later burnt his effigy and raised slogans against him during , has come as a big surprise for the people in general and Muslims in particular. The incident took place in the Dak Bungalow roundabout on Bharat Bandh day on Monday.

The common refrain is as to why is it that chief minister Nitish Kumar, for no rhyme and reason, dragging Muslims into this totally unnecessary controversy. After all it took years for the situation to improve in Bihar and incidents like this will certainly send wrong message, they told BiharTimes.

There is no dearth of people who are of the view that the whole show was not only stage-managed, but they also believe that Monazir has been made the villain of the piece by the NDA leaders.

While the RJD leader Lalu Yadav denounced the incident and said that the BJP people can not even tolerate MP coming from the minority community of their own alliance, the Congress spokesman, Azmi Bari, feared that Monazir Hasan may meet the fate of former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffrey, who was burnt alive during the Gujarat riots day.

However, common men and women are more concerned by the way the communal relation is deliberately being vitiated by Janata Dal (United) and the BJP.

“The silence of the Janata Dal (United) leadership openly indicates that NDA is engaged in a stage-managed drama. He wants to befool all of us,” says Ali, a social worker. “Whatever be the reason one thing is clear Nitish is desperate,” he further added.

”Why after all it was only Monazir Hasan, who was present on the occasion, when there were hordes of Janata Dal (United) leaders in Patna. How is it that the whole thing coincided? Was Monazir used by the party leadership as he is the lone Muslim MP of the Janata Dal (United)?” asks an educated housewife, who wants to be identified by her petname, Gudia.

And if the whole exercise was not stage-managed and the BJP leaders and workers were serious than why is it that none in the Janata Dal (United) came to the rescue of Monazir?

What sounds more intriguing is the way the minority workers of the Janata Dal (United) in Begusarai, the Lok Sabha constittueny represented by Monazir reacted.

“The truth is that Monazir should have been in Begusarai itself and not in Patna to make bandh successful. Secondly, why is it that only the Janata Dal (United) Minority Cell reacted in Begusarai and rest of the leader remained tight-lipped. Is Nitish deliberately communalizing the situation?” asks Naiyyar Fatmi, a social activist and Convenor of Lok Parishad.

However, there is no one to shed tears for Monazir. Almost each and everyone who has been interviewed condemned him for this poor quality of drama. “People, both Hindus and Muslims, may be fool, but they are certainly not so much stupid as to not understand such third- rate melo-drama,” says Akhlaque Ahmed, who teaches in a college. “Monazir should stop such nonsense. People know him very well,” he added.

“On June 12, when Nitish cancelled the dinner of the BJP bigwigs, for a moment, we thought that his anger is genuine. But the return of Kosi relief fund to Gujarat, then his visit to the house of Ashwini Choubey and then the Bharat Bandh day drama concerning Monazir made it clear that Nitish is befooling none, but himself,” Naiyyer Fatmi added further.

On the specific question as to why Muslim leaders, from Syed Shahabuddin (of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat) to Syed Nizamuddin (of All India Muslim Personal Law Board), not urging, at least Nitish Kumar, if not the BJP, to refrain from such politics, Ali asked: “Do you think the newspapers in Bihar would publish their statement?”

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