Amid new party talks, Mukul Roy hosts Iftaar Party

KOLKATA: Amid wide speculation over floating a new party, Mukul Roy has started nursing the minorities meticulously. Roy, who has been deserted by Didi, has arranged for a grand Iftaar Party on Sunday, which the political observers call a “clear competition” with Mamata Banerjee. It is evident that Roy has started nurturing the minority Muslim constituency to give a jerk to Mamata’s biggest vote bank.
Interestingly, CM Mamata Banerjee chose to skip the Iftaar party today that was organized in the Muslim institute hall in central Kolkata. And the Iftaar party that is organized by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation would be held in the first of week of July to avoid further controversy and comparison.

Roy who has started visiting the Minority leaders and the Muslim spiritual leaders with a reasonable influence over the constituency explained it as his ‘love and concern’ for the Minorities who have always been ‘cheated’ by the ruling parties.

Roy, in last couple of months visited Pirzada Toha Siddiqui of Furfura Sharif who is a prominent and influential spiritual leader among the Muslim community in Bengal. Roy held meeting with minority leader, Mohammad Quamruzzaman, general secretary of the All Bengal Minority Youth Federation, former Left Front minister Abdul Rezzak Mollah and a senior minority leader Siddikullah Choudhury.

To keep his political relevance alive, Roy keeps on holding meeting with all the minority factions in the state, which he claims, he brought them at the side of Mamata Banerjee. Explaining his future plans, Roy told ET, “At present, I am not thinking of floating a new party. But I know that the minorities would always be with me. They love me a lot.”

In the recent past, Roy had indirectly criticized Mamata Banerjee saying that TMC’s promises regarding minority were not fulfilled during the past four years. In a collection of non-fictions, that is likely to be published shortly, he has written that many of the promises made to the community by TMC were fulfilled. Significantly, this is becoming a growing area of discontent within the community too.

Rebel leader Rezzak Mollah, once the face of minority in the Left Front said, “Roy held a meeting with me. But we are waiting for him to come up with his ideas before the assembly election as we would field our candidates in 2016 election.” Mollah who has a considerable command over the community formed an alliance of five minority parties in Bengal that would fight the upcoming election.

Roy visited Pirzada Toha Siddiui, who has particularly been at loggerhead with Mamata Banerjee for nonimplementation of a promised rail link between Dankuni and Furfura Shariff. “Ruling parties have always used the minorities as their vote banks and deceived them . Mamata Banerjee has done the same. But she appeared to be more selfish than others.

She promised seven projects in the area when she was rail minister. The party had three rail ministers over last six years, but the projects were not implemented. Mukul Roy is the fruit of the same tree, but I would not comment on his organization till I see what he wants to do for the Muslims,” said Pirzada.

He further added, “Mukul has to severe all ties with BJP if he wants minority people with him. We will not support a politician, who would have minority on their face and BJP in their heart,” he added. Minority leader Quamruzzaman,however, pointed out, “We would choose Mukul over Mamata as Mukul Roy has always been the bridge between Mamata and Minority. We could never reach Didi directly and Mukul always heard us. But Mukul has to end his relationship with Modi to get us by his side.”

Now, nursing minority is difficult for Roy as he maintains a relation with the top BJP camp and that is one reason he is yet to announce his future plans.