Jaipur: The Rajasthan Muslim Alliance has called on the Congress leadership to nominate Umar Khalid to the Rajya Sabha from the state, citing a long absence of Muslim representation in Parliament.
Alliance president Mohsin Rashid said Rajasthan has not sent a Muslim representative to either the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha for decades. He pointed to the last Lok Sabha elections, where both the BJP and Congress fielded 25 candidates each, with no Muslim candidates on either side.
Rashid described Khalid as an educated youth leader who has raised issues affecting Muslims. He argued that legal charges should not disqualify a candidate unless proven in court. He said the Constitution allows individuals facing charges to contest elections. He cited examples such as Yogi Adityanath, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, Chinmayanand, and Anurag Thakur to support his argument.
He urged Congress to bring grassroots leaders into mainstream politics, referring to figures like Kanhaiya Kumar. Rashid added that senior Congress leaders, including Digvijaya Singh, have raised concerns about Khalid’s case.
Rashid also stressed political trust. He said Khalid would raise public issues without pressure or influence from rival parties. He described the demand as one backed by the Muslim community in Rajasthan, which has supported Congress over the years.
Khalid has been in jail since 2020 in connection with the Delhi riots case.
