Imtiaz Jalil alleges double standards as Muslim leaders face scrutiny, while provocative remarks by ruling party figures against mosques and Muslims go unchecked
MUMBAI – The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has strongly defended its newly elected corporator from Mumbra, Sahar Sheikh, saying her statement was neither against Hindus nor did it call for anyone to be driven out of the area. The party alleged that despite this, pressure is being mounted to register a police case against her.
Addressing a press conference here recently, AIMIM state president and former MP Imtiaz Jalil said Sahar Sheikh’s remarks had been wrongly presented at the national level to create a false controversy.
“Sahar Sheikh has not made any objectionable statement. She has not said that our Hindu brothers should be removed from Mumbra,” Jalil said. “Even then, there is pressure to file a case against her. The party stands firmly with Sahar. This is no longer just her statement; it is the AIMIM’s stand.”
The controversy began after Sahar Sheikh, who was elected from Panel No. 30-B in Mumbra, made remarks that were interpreted by some groups as communal. AIMIM leaders say the statement was taken out of context and used to target a Muslim woman leader who had just won the election.
Jalil said the party is prepared to challenge the police notice issued to Sahar Sheikh. “The notice given by the police will be taken to the Supreme Court if needed. We are fully ready for that,” he said.
Replying to questions about BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, Jalil raised sharp questions about what he called selective outrage and action. “On what constitutional post is he demanding an apology from Sahar Sheikh?” Jalil asked. “He himself has given many provocative statements. Leaders from his party talk about entering mosques and beating Muslims. Have the police taken action against them?”
He said the same yardstick was not being applied when Muslims were targeted. “When a Muslim woman speaks, notices are issued quickly. When others give open threats, silence follows,” he said.
Imtiaz Jalil also pointed out that Sahar Sheikh’s statement clearly did not target any community. “If Sahar had said anything against Hindus, would a Hindu brother like Mayur Sarang be sitting with us at this press conference?” he asked, referring to the presence of a Hindu supporter alongside AIMIM’s five winning corporators from Mumbra.
Sahar Sheikh, seated beside party leaders, did not retract her statement and received open backing from the party leadership. AIMIM leaders said the attempt to criminalise her words was part of a wider pattern where Muslim voices are questioned and pressured, while similar or worse remarks by others are ignored.
The party said it will pursue all legal options and will not allow what it described as intimidation of an elected Muslim representative. AIMIM leaders also appealed for calm, saying the issue should not be turned into a communal flashpoint, but handled within the law and the Constitution.
