In a move aimed at wresting the prized Muslim constituency from the Samajwadi Party, president of VP Singh’s revived Jan Morcha and former SP leader Raj Babbar is meeting several Muslim leaders ahead of the outfit’s rally in Lucknow on May 30 as he feels ‘‘the minority has been completely betrayed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav”.

‘‘I have met many Ulema and also Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, chairman of the People’s Democratic Front (an alliance of seven Muslim political organisations) and there is also a proposal to talk to the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari,’’ Babbar told The Indian Express.

‘‘We want to garner the support of all Muslims and want to stop any divide among their votes,’’ he said.

‘‘I am trying my best to remove all kinds of confusion because Muslims have at times supported the Congress, and at times the SP,’’ the national president of Jan Morcha said.

He said Jan Morcha’s upcoming rally would be a great show of strength of people, including farmers, labourers, and weaker sections of society. The rally is expected to be attended, among others, by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad, Union Minister of Steel, Chemicals and Fertilizers Ram Vilas Paswan, leaders from the Left and some dissident SP leaders. ‘‘Our aim is to provide a true secular government in UP,’’ Babbar declared.

The Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, said he was looking forward to having a tie up with Jan Morcha. ‘‘We are in constant touch with Jan Morcha and we would be inviting Babbar for a talk on June 3,’’ said the Imam.

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