Corporators slam Asaduddin Owaisi bid to polarize voters in civic poll

MUMBAI: Civic officials and politicians cutting across party lines condemned Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi for trying to polarize Muslim voters by calling for a higher allocation in the civic budget for community-dominated areas in the city.

Since the budget doesn't make community-wise allocations, leaders described it as a misleading statement made by the leader of a party desperate to woo minority votes and make an entry into the BMC. The MIM, which won two seats in the 2014 assembly polls from Mumbai, is contesting civic elections in the city for the first time.

Kicking off his party's campaign, Owaisi on Sunday had demanded that at least Rs 7,770 crore of the BMC's Rs 37,000 crore budget should be spent in Muslim-dominated areas since they makes up 21% of the city's population. Corporators ridiculed him for making the statement without realizing that the total spend for the city and its residents in last year's budget was only Rs 12,874 crore
"He is unaware the BMC's annual spending on public is around 30% of the total budget. Budget funds are never allocated along community lines. M-East ward (Govandi and surrounding areas), which is dominated by the minority community, is among the wards that got the most funds in the recent past. Around one lakh Muslim students study in the BMC's schools," said



Samajwadi Party leader and Govandi corporator Rais Shaikh.

The budget estimates show that expenditure is largely uniform across wards regardless of their demographic make-up. It is widely believed that ruling party corporators get more projects in their area because they are in a majority. But sincere corporators with persuasive powers can grab large projects for their wards regardless of party. Recently, the standing committee cleared 74 proposals worth Rs 1,100 crore in a single sitting; Rs 455 crore of that was meant for a flyover in Mankhurd - dominated by Muslims - as the area saw 64 road accident deaths in three years. Locals and the SP had been campaigning for the flyover.
"Contrary to Owasis's statement, Muslim students are increasing in BMC schools. He is just trying to polarize the community. In Hyderabad they are in a majority (in the civic body), do they distribute funds according to religion?" asked Congress corporator Mohsin Haider.

"Many schools, hospitals are closed in Byculla and the BMC is not doing anything. What Owaisi meant was that if we win, we will ask for funds to re-open them. We are asking for funds in the name of development. Committee reports that say that Muslims are socially backward and the areas dominated by them need development," said MIM MLA for Byculla Waris Pathan.