Bhopal: Former Union Minister and Congress leader Aslam Sher Khan, has called for a special AICC session immediately after the Assembly elections in five States to provide a definitive direction to the Congress, particularly with respect to its policy vis-a-vis the Muslim community.

In an open letter, Mr Khan said "consolidation in voting pattern" had already taken place where Muslims were joined by Dalits, backward classes and communists.

"The Dalits and backward classes have begun identifying with Muslims and if we alienate this class, the results for the Congress would be disastrous and our leadership's credibility would be suspect," Mr Khan wrote. Due to this factor, "we find proliferation" of alternative secular governments in States such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.

"These governments have also come on the secularism plank and are actually eroding the Congress' support base," he added.

Besides expressing serious concern over the Danish cartoon episode denigrating Prophet Mohammad, Mr Khan said that at a time when Muslims across India were vociferously protesting the episode, it was ironic that the Manmohan Singh government was "rejoicing the so-called historic nuclear deal" with the US.

`Muslim sentiments hurt'

"Ironic because this particular episode, which was perpetrated by the West, seriously hurt the sentiments of every devout Muslim," he wrote.

"Due to the Nehru-Gandhi family's past record and the sacrifices, today, after such a long gap the Congress has been able to form the UPA Government. No one can be in doubt about the family's credibility and secular credentials," he claimed.

Mr Khan felt that the various minority-welfare measures initiated under Ms Gandhi's leadership were nullified by the with the US agreement.

"At what cost this agreement? Could it not have waited awhile to let the tempers cool? Or we, in the Congress, have taken for granted the family's sacrifices and are frittering away all that we have achieved, for narrow personal gains," he asked. -- UNI

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