Lucknow: Daring Mulayam Singh Yadav to contest from Varanasi, chief of Rashtriya Ulema Council (RUC) Maulana Aamir Rashadi Madni on Sunday said if the SP supremo really wants to "stop Narendra Modi", he should contest from the holy city and his organisation would help him.
"If Yadav really wants to stop Modi, he should contest from Varanasi and not Azamgarh. If he contests from there, our organisation will help him," Madani, who is contesting against Mulayam from Azamgarh, told PTI.
"Gujarat`s Modi is Narendra Modi and UP`s Modi is Mulayam Singh Yadav. It is said that Mulayam is contesting from Azamgarh to stop Modi and if it is true why he is not contesting directly against Modi in Varanasi," he said.
In November last year, Yadav said during a rally in Mainpuri that only he can stop the march of communal forces in Uttar Pradesh.
"In 2009, Mulayam had not fielded any candidate against BJP leader Rajnath Singh in Ghaziabad... For us, there is no difference between BJP and SP," Madni said.
Alleging that Modi had orchestrated riots in Gujarat and left its victims in lurch, Madni said that same was done by SP government in Uttar Pradesh in Muzaffarnagar.
Asked whether Muslim votes will be divided due to his candidature in Azamgarh benefiting BJP, Madni said that he had left it on God.
"Mulayam is `atyachari` (oppressor)... I am contesting against him... This in fight of helpless and poor...I have left victory and defeat on Allah," Madni added.
The chief of Ulema Council, which has influence in some eastern districts of the state, said that SP had promised to implement 18 per cent reservation to Muslims and recommendations of Sachchar committee and Rangnath Misra commission but has not fulfilled it.
In the 2009 election, Ulema Council had fielded candidates from Ambedkarnagar, Machchlishahr, Lalganj, Jaunpur, Lucknow and Kanpur.
