Malegaon: The birth certificate controversy continues to fuel anxiety among Malegaon’s Muslim residents, as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) interrogates individuals for hours, creating an atmosphere of fear. While the Minority Defense Committee claims to be assisting citizens in their struggle against administrative excesses, a bitter war of words between MLA Mufti Ismail and Mustaqeem Dignity has diverted attention from the core issue—civil liberties and the rights of Malegaon’s Muslims.
Mustaqeem Dignity, speaking at a late-night press conference at the Samajwadi Party office, accused Mufti Ismail of failing to take a stand against BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s allegations and the SIT’s intimidating tactics. He claimed that instead of fighting for the people, Mufti Ismail has been making baseless accusations against him, Asif Sheikh, and the Minority Defense Committee. Dignity announced that a legal notice would be sent to the MLA, demanding an apology within eight days, failing which a defamation case would be filed.
He also alleged that citizens were being detained for up to 10 hours at Chawni Police Station, while Mufti Ismail remained silent. The MLA, in turn, accused Dignity’s committee of financial misconduct, claiming they accepted ₹25,000 bribes to organize protests—a charge the committee strongly denied.
At a time when Malegaon’s Muslims need unified leadership to defend their civil rights, infighting among community representatives has only deepened the crisis. Whether legal battles or political rivalries will resolve the distress of common citizens remains to be seen.
