The results of the Haryana assembly elections shocked the Congress party and conspiracy theorists because the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) won unexpectedly for the third time in a row, making state history. Although the BJP was able to garner support from non-Jat voters, the Congress party continued to enjoy the backing of Muslims. Caste and religion-based voting consolidation is not new, but what stands out is that the person most suspected of being involved in the anti-Hindu Nuh violence received the most votes.
Maman Khan, the Congress leader who is suspected of attacking Hindus in Nuh during Shobhayatra, won by a wide margin of around one lakh votes in the Ferozpur Jhirka seat.
With 1,30,497 votes, the Muslim leader of the Congress defeated Nasim Ahmed, the BJP candidate running for the Ferozpur Jhirka seat, who only managed 32,056 votes. The largest margin ever recorded in the 2024 Haryana elections was 98,441, the margin of victory for Maman Khan. Maman Khan ran on a Congress ticket in 2019 and defeated Ferozpur Jhirka by a margin of 37,000 votes, taking home 58% of the vote. Based on these figures, it seems that Maman Khan received a political reward for his role in the assault on Hindus during the 2023 riots in Nuh.
Maman Khan’s relationship to the anti-Hindu riots in Nuh
Islamists attacked the Hindu Jalabhishek Yatra on July 31, 2023, resulting in multiple deaths and numerous injuries, including to police officers. Investigations revealed that the attacks on the Hindu procession were prearranged, despite the best efforts of Congress and other usual suspects to place the blame for the violence on the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. Notably, Maman Khan, the leader of the Congress, is being charged under the UAPA with inciting violence.
In the Nuh violence cases, he was taken into custody on September 14, 2023, and on October 4, 2023, he was given bail. Before the anti-Hindu violence that broke out in Nuh, the police claimed that Maman Khan had made arrangements for the miscreants to receive money (Rs 500 each) through local sarpanchs. Furthermore, it was claimed that posts containing flames were disseminated using WhatsApp groups named after Maman Khan, such as IT Cell Maman Khan and Youth Team Maman Khan.
“He [Maman Khan] played an important role in spreading rumours during the Nuh violence and was in touch with some suspects involved in pelting stones and setting vehicles on fire,” Nuh superintendent of police Narender Bijarniya had stated at the time. Additionally, he is suspected of hiring others to attack and cause a disturbance during the Braj Mandal yatra.
Maman Khan persisted in making divisive remarks at the election rallies, although he was free on bond. It was reported last month that the Congress politician had threatened to remove specific individuals from Mewat, a predominantly Muslim area, as soon as the Congress party came to power in Haryana. According to the 2011 census, Mewat’s population is divided into 79.20% Muslims, 20.37% Hindus, 0.11% Christians, 0.05% Sikhs, and 0.05% Buddhists.
Maman Khan made the following statement regarding the anti-Hindu Nuh riots: “I know that many houses did not have their stoves lighted at the time of this occurrence. We must continue to be brave despite the authorities locking me up for no apparent reason. Your family and mine are just the same. Each of us has a single family. The cooker wasn’t lit in any of our homes, so we shouldn’t be upset about it. Both your youngster and mine did not consume roti. Everybody is experiencing pain. Everyone is aware. When the time comes, the government will be established. With God willing. I am familiar with every single one of those heartless individuals who have harmed our kids. I am familiar with all of them. I will not, under any circumstances, spare anyone who provided the list. They will be forced to leave Mewat because they will be unable to stay here.
The BJP had claimed that Hindus would be compelled to flee Mewat if Congress were to win the election and that Maman Khan was threatening them in a subdued manner. Despite the Congress party’s inability to secure a majority and form a government, Maman Khan emerged victorious with an unprecedented margin in the Ferozpur Jhirka seat.
The fact that Maman Khan won, particularly in Haryana by such a wide margin, indicates that the Muslim public despises the Muslim candidate of the BJP. This implies that Muslims won’t support the BJP’s Muslim candidate. Instead of supporting a BJP candidate, they would prefer to support someone who has been charged with inciting riots. Maybe their primary concern is making sure that an Islamist is their elected representative, and they don’t give a damn about jobs, infrastructure, development, or anything else.
Furthermore, the extraordinary actions of Maman Khan, who threatened Hindus during his campaign and demonstrated his anti-Hindu credentials by taking part in the violence in Nuh, portend potentially challenging times for the Hindu community in the Mewat region. For a long time, the BJP has upheld “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.” Even if the BJP nominates a Muslim candidate, it is clear that Muslim voters are not fond of the notion of “development for all.” The goal is to overthrow the party, even if it means implementing divisive politics and ideas.
Notably, Mewat has been a hub for crimes, including sextortion and cybercrimes. Mewat is notorious for being “Mini Pakistan” and for being a hub for crimes against Hindus.
As previously reported, Aftab Ahmed of the Congress won Nuh by a margin of more than 46,963 votes, defeating Maman Khan in the process. Similarly, Punahana’s Muhammad Ilyas secured the seat with 31,916 votes, establishing Congress’s dominance in areas with a majority of Muslims.
