Intezar Ali to be JVM-P's poster boy in Lohardaga

RANCHI: The Babulal Marandi-led Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) has roped in Intezar Ali, a local Muslim youngster who was jailed for over two months on terror charges after he was caught allegedly carrying a bagful of explosives in a passenger train in Ranchi, to woo Muslim voters.
A seat reserved for Scheduled Tribe, Lohardaga has a sizeable Muslim population and the JVM-P thinktank believes it can use the imprisonment and alleged torture of an innocent Muslim to win Muslim votes against the NDA's candidate.
Ali, a Ranchi-based medical practitioner, was picked up on 20 August near Kita railway station in a joint operation conducted by army intelligence, Ranchi police and the Government Railway Police (GRP).
Security agencies alleged that he was travelling in Burdwan-Hatia passenger train with explosives. Ali spent 57 days in Ranchi's Birsa Munda Central Jail before he was granted by the chief judicial magistrate.
JVM-P invited Ali to accompany its candidate Bandhu Tirkey when he filed his nomination papers in Lohardaga. The photographs of Ali along with Tirkey and other party leaders were published in the media and JVM-P believes that it gives them an edge over rivals when it comes to Muslim voters.
Ali was also asked to participate in a press conference addressed by JVM-P principal general secretary Pradeep Yadav in Lohardaga recently.
A source said Babulal Marandi plans to take Ali to political rallies he is scheduled to address during Lohardaga by-election campaigning. "The schedule will be finalized in a meeting of party leaders on December 2," a JVM-P leader said.
JVM-P spokesperson Khalid Khalil said Ali is an example of how unfairly the BJP and NDA treat Muslims. "The man was kept in jail for over two months because of no fault of his. Till now, the police have not got any evidence against him. They ruined his life and his image took a blow when he was jailed. It was Babulal Marandi who fought for him and finally secured his release," Khalil said.
Congress, however, disputed Khalil's claims. "Congress leaders went to meet the governor for the release of Ali and we also staged a dharna outside Raj Bhavan. JVM-P only hijacked the issue," said Rajesh Thakur, party leader.
When contacted, Ali said he will definitely go to electioneering with Babulal Marandiif he is invided. "He has helped me, and I will accompany him when he asks," Ali told TOI.