Muslims leaders burn journalist MJ Akbar's effigy

A group of local Muslim leaders and Congress workers today staged a demonstration against senior journalist MJ Akbar who joined BJP yesterday.

The protesters gathered at Lal Darwaja here this afternoon and burned Akbar's effigy. They also shouted slogans against Akbar, who had once served as a Congress spokesperson in 1989 and had been elected as an MP from Bihar. "After joining BJP, Akbar went on saying that whole Muslim community is now with Narendra Modi. This is totally wrong. We have gathered today to oppose this statement," said Congress MLA from Dariyapur, Gyasuddin Shaikh.

Shaikh was accompanied by several local Muslim leaders, including leader of opposition in Ahmedabad municipal corporation Badruddin Shaikh, Gomtipur councillor Iqbal Shaikh, former councillor Imran Khedawala, city Congress general secretary Nasruddin Chisti and secretary Junaid Shaikh. "Akbar and few other Muslims in BJP do not represent the entire Muslim community. Apart from Shahnawaz Hussian, BJP has't given ticket to any other Muslim. Thus, we strongly condemn Akbar's malicious act of dragging entire Muslim community for his own benefit," said Shaikh.