RJD, TC demand salaries for Imams

With Bihar and West Bengal assembly elections in sight, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Trinamool Congress on Saturday demanded implementation of a 17-year-old Supreme Court order to provide salaries to Imams (clerics) of government-aided mosques.

"Congress has only indulged in vote ki rajniti (votebank politics). It only seeks votes from the minorities but does little for their welfare," RJD chief Lalu Prasad told mediapersons outside Parliament House.

RJD, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress had raised the issue of salaries for imams during Zero Hour. Prasad said as per the 1993 Supreme Court judgement, a law was to be framed within six months to provide salary to Imams (clerics) of government-aided mosques and remuneration to Imams of unaided mosques.

"Once we return to power in Bihar, we will implement the decision in the state," Prasad said. To a question on some Bharatiya Janata Party members opposing the move, Prasad said, "If they have any problem, they too can approach the apex court for granting similar facilities to sadhus and saints."

He also threatened a 'mass agitation' if the SC directives were not implemented at the earliest.

Expressing similar sentiments, Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandhyopadhyay said his party supported RJD on the issue as 'imams in West Bengal were in a bad state and facing economic crisis.'

He rejected suggestions that TC raised the issue keeping in mind the coming assembly elections.

"Minorities are already with Mamata ji...I defeated a Muslim candidate to reach the Lok Sabha though my constituency has 4 lakh linguistic minorities," he said.

The TC leader said after Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, West Bengal has the maximum number of Muslims in the country.

"They constitute 28 per cent of the state's population," he said.

In the Lok Sabha, government said it would take appropriate action to implement Supreme Court's observations regarding payment of salaries to imams of government-aided mosques.

Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee gave the assurance to the Lok Sabha on a Zero Hour mention made by RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

Prasad wanted to know the reasons for the delay in implementation of the 1993 Supreme Court judgement on a petition of the All India Imams Organisation relating to salaries of imams in government-aided mosques and remuneration to clerics in non-aided places of worship.

There was uproar in the House after Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid spoke of differences among Imams on drawing salaries from the government.