Make Yakub Memon's widow a Rajya Sabha MP: Samajwadi Party leader to Mulayam Singh

Samajwadi Party leader Mohammed Farooq Ghosi has stirred a controversy by requesting party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to nominate 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon's wife as a Rajya Sabha MP.

Make Yakub Memon's widow a Rajya Sabha MP: Samajwadi Party leader to Mulayam Singh

New Delhi: A Samajwadi Party leader on Saturday created a stir on by requesting party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to nominate 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon's widow Raheen as a Rajya Sabha MP.

Yakub Memon, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blast case, was hanged in Nagpur jail on July 30.

In a letter to Yadav, Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra unit vice president Mohammed Farooq Ghosi wrote: "I should not have written a letter to SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. I understand this was not a proper time to write such a letter."

However, he added that Raheen should be given a Rajya Sabha berth.

Raheen, who was also arrested along with Yakub, remained in jail for years before being released by a court, Ghosi notes, adding that she might have suffered a lot.

“You have always supported those who are helpless. I feel that Raheen is also helpless. Likewise, many Muslims in the country are today feeling helpless. We must support Raheen, making her an MP so that she can raise her voice for all such helpless people,” reads the letter written on the party letter head.

State party president Abu Asim Azmi, however, distanced himself from the matter, saying that an explanation will be sought from Ghosi on the content of his letter.

"He (Ghosi) has not consulted the party before making irresponsible comments. He has written the letter in his personal capacity. He will be asked to explain his stand, following which necessary action will be taken against him," Azmi told PTI.

Congress said the decision to hang Memon was taken by the Supreme Court and should thus, not be politicised.

"This is their internal party matter. But it seems more like their tacit agenda to communalise the issue. The decision to hang Memon was taken by the Supreme Court and thus the matter should not be politicised now," Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said.

BJP leader Madhav Bhandari said Ghosi's comments prove that SP is only interested in playing votebank politics and that the party should come out and clear its stand on the issue.

"Every person has the right to suggest something to his party. But every leader needs to show some constraint while making suggestions. SP has to clear its stand and if he is acting against party line, then party should take some serious action. This is sheer exploitation of votebank politics," he said. 

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