Give Muslims proportional representation: Bukhari to Mulayam

The Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, who had earlier extended support to Samajwadi Party, today accused the party of ignoring the Muslim community while choosing nominees for Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Council.

Bukhari, in a letter written today to SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, has said that he had learnt from newsreports that his own son-in-law was among seven who had been nominated to the State Legislative Council.

Bukhari said that Muslim community constituted 20 per cent while the Yadavs were only seven percent of the state's population. He alleged that when it came to sharing power, the muslims were ignored by the party.

"I regret to say that SP like the other parties aquired the votes of the Muslims but did not give them an adequate representation," he wrote

Bukhari also said that apart from the legislative council, Muslims from Uttar Pradesh had also been ignored by SP in choosing its Rajya Sabha nominees.