Cong treats Muslims like slaves, says Assam MP Abdul Khaleque after quitting party

Guwahati: Congress MP Abdul Khaleque from Assam, who quit the party a day ago, on Saturday accused his former party of treating Muslims as 'slaves' and attributed his resignation to a personal vendetta by a senior AICC leader.

Expressing disappointment over not being nominated for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Khaleque claimed that several parties, including Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), TMC and AAP, were in touch with him, but refrained from confirming whether he will be joining any other party at the moment.

Khaleque claimed that his resignation was not due to being denied a party ticket but also because of broader grievances within the party, including a lack of representation for Muslims.

Khaleque, a two-time MLA and one-time MP, had sent his resignation from primary membership of Congress to its national president on Friday, days after the party dropped him from its list of candidates for the forthcoming elections.

In the resignation letter, he claimed that the party has taken a "strange route" in the state, and "the attitude and approach taken by the party's state president and AICC general secretary in-charge has ruined the prospects of the party in Assam".

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Kumar Borah had rushed to the MP's Guwahati residence soon after he resigned, and both leaders later indicated that there could be reversal of Khaleque's decision to quit.

Confirming his resignation on Saturday, Khaleque said, "As I was in the party earlier, I was bound by discipline. But now I can speak freely as I have quit." He claimed that he had informed of his grievances towards Borah and AICC general secretary in-charge of Assam Jitendra Singh to the party central leadership, and even wrote to Singh with his issues concerning the party in February but failed to get any proper response.

"Somehow, Jitendra Singh has some personal vendetta against me, I don't know the reason for it. Finally, I had to quit the party," Khaleque added.

Claiming that his resignation was not due to being denied party ticket, Khaleque maintained that more Muslim candidates should have been nominated by the party in the state.

The Congress has three MPs in the outgoing Lok Sabha, out of a total of 14 seats from the state. The two other incumbents, Gaurav Gogoi and Pradyut Bordoloi, have again been given party tickets.

The minority community leader alleged that a section of arrogant leaders of the Congress view the Muslims as their slaves.

"No doubt that the Muslims love Congress as the party believes in equality. But some arrogant leaders think of Muslims as servants," he said.

Mentioning of the party's plenary session in Raipur last year, Khaleque claimed that though photographs of former top leaders were hung at the venue, there was no picture of Abul Kalam Azad.

"Maulana Abul Kalam Azad had been the party's president in the 1940s, a very crucial time. His overall contribution to the nation is also immense. When his photo was left out, it hurt many like me," he said.

In an apparent warming up towards the TMC, Khaleque praised the party and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for fighting the BJP.

He also claimed that Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was behind the fissures of the INDI Alliance vis-a-vis TMC as the Bengal Congress president was 'continuously raising voice' against Banerjee at different forums.

Khaleque also maintained that there are moles within the Assam Congress and added, "Anything that is discussed within the party gets to the chief minister within half an hour."