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![]() ![]() ![]() The Rediff Interview/Ulema Council Chairman Maulana Amir Rashadi 'Muslims lost faith in UPA after the Batla House encounter' February 02, 2009 Images] last Thursday when over 1,000 residents of Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh [Images], protested against the Batla House encounter. While the police and the Centre maintain that the youths killed in the encounter were terrorists, leaders of the Muslim community claim that the two youths from Azamgarh were killed to shield then home minister Shivraj Patil [Images]. Ulema Council Chairman Maulana Amir Rashadi, whose son Talha Amir was picked up by the police only to be released later, had organised the trip from Azamgarh to Delhi. He met Home Minister P Chidambaram [Images] and submitted a memorandum on the issue. Rashadi spoke to rediff.com's Krishnakumar P about the need to probe the real circumstances behind the Batla House encounter and Mumbai [Images] Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare's [Images] death on November 26. What were your demands to the home minister? Mr Chidambaram was very receptive and replied positively on two demands on the spot. He said once the National Minorities Commission and the National Human Rights Commission finish their enquiries into the encounter, he will proceed accordingly. He said that steps are underway to ensure that anti-terror laws are not misused. We are satisfied with the meeting. Ever since the Batla House encounter, there has been growing mistrust about political parties, especially the Congress, with which the community has always maintained a friendly relationship. This current term was the one where we completely lost faith in the Congress, especially after the Batla House encounter. We don't have any faith in other parties like the Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party. But Samwajwadi Party leader Wasim Gazi shared the dais with you in Delhi You said you may join the Third Front. The SP may feature in such a front. So will your organisation enter full-fledged electoral politics? What will be your political agenda? Why didn't the youngsters, who were falsely implicated in terror cases, come with you to Delhi? What about your son? Inspector M C Sharma has been awarded the Ashoka Chakra. Union Minister A R Antulay [Images] had raised questions about the circumstances of Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare's death. Some say you are blowing up the Batla House encounter issue as elections are approaching. Why did that particular encounter assume so much significance? Why do you think Azamgarh is being targeted? Who are the 'they' you are referring to? All the terror attacks in the country have been carried out by them. Karkare exposed them and brought out this naked truth. So they killed him. We salute Karkake. In fact, we are going to approach his wife and request her to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Azamgarh. She is a like an elder sister to the people of Azamgarh. The Rediff Interviews ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||