Protest at UP civic polls in Baghpat, Muslim women annoyed

The final phase of Uttar Pradesh civic polls in 26 districts concluded on Wednesday. There were strict security arrangements to ensure peaceful voting and the Election Commission had also made arrangements to prevent fake voting. But there were reports of protests and disturbances from some areas.

There was a feeling of anger and resentment among Muslim voters of cities. Instances of getting Muslim women to remove their naqab were also reported from many places. Due to this, Muslims voted in less numbers, the reports say.

It is important to note that the Uttar Pradesh BJP had demanded in a memorandum to the Election Commission that the identities of the women who come to vote with their faces covered with veil or naqab, should be confirmed by their voter identity card and for this, special women security forces should be arranged. Although the EC did not issue any official order or instruction regarding this, but administration in many districts did implement this on their own.

At many polling booths of Mughalsarai, Chandauli Baghpat and Saharanpur, women security forces checked the identity cards of burqa-clad women and asked them to remove their burqa for facial identification.

In Khatakhedi, Saharanpur, when Muslim women were asked to remove their burqas, they protested. A woman named Razia told this reporter that a male staffer asked her to remove her burqa and show her face while she had already given him her Aadhaar card and her name was also in the list. When she refused to remove her burqa, the man stopped her from voting. According to the presiding officer, Satish Kumar, he is not permitted to let people vote without seeing their faces.

Local BSP leader Hafiz Uvesh said that this problem was faced by Muslim women at many polling booths and that the number of Muslim women voters at the booths came down. The administration was very strict in the areas with a large population like Khanalam Pura and Chhipiyan. The Congress candidate for councillor from this area, Ahmad Ansari, said the voting was slow here because of the too strict attitude of the administration while the administration was not strict in the Hindu majority areas. In Naya Gaon, Ram Nagar, many names were found missing from the list of the voters.

The family members of Congress leader Imran Masood were able to take a large number of Muslim women to the booth. BSP candidate Haji Fazarul Rahman also alleged that Muslim women were unnecessarily harassed and intimidated.

In the town of Behat, minor skirmishes were reported between Congress supporters and an independent candidate. At Veer Smarak Intercollege in Baghpat, Muslim voters were present in large number. They were allowed to enter the booth only after strict checking. The women police forces deployed there were diligently checking the burqa-clad women. Some women voters here have expressed their resentment too.

At the Islamiya Madarsa polling booth in Baghpat, the police resorted to lathicharge which caused panic and in the chaos, a child fell down and was seriously injured. According to an eyewitness named Arif, a policeman abused a youth and accused him of casting a false vote. The youth protested. The policeman beat him and a ruckus broke out. Some women were also injured in this melee. This booth is in a Muslim-majority area and because of the argument and protest, voting was affected for quite sometime. ADG of the area Prashant Kumar reached the booth to sort things out. The injured woman, Shabnam, alleged that the police behaved as if they wanted to deliberately create trouble.

During polling at Mughalsarai, Muslim women were asked to remove their burqas for facial identification. Although a woman constable was deputed for the task, Muslim women voters expressed their resentment.