The launch of an Urdu paper in Delhi a fortnight ago may not be as innocuous a media event as it appears, if political talk is to be believed. With a plethora of political personalities on stage, it did indeed seem to hint at a wider agenda than just dissemination of news.

Former prime minister V P Singh, who recently resurrected the Jan Morcha with actor-politician Raj Babbar, launched the Hindustan Express on May 10. Now political observers say the new daily is a bid to influence Muslim voters in the run-up to assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2007.

The launch was attended, among others, by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Deputy Speaker of the Delhi Assembly Shoaib Iqbal.

Speaking on the occasion, Lalu said, ‘‘Some people do not seem to like this people-friendly newspaper. One person repeatedly asked me not to attend its launch.’’ He requested Dikshit to ensure the newspaper did not face hurdles in its publication.

The Hindustan Express, which claims a circulation of 10,000, is edited by Khalid Anwar, a kin of RJD MP Motiur Rahman of Bihar. He said his target audience was Delhi and UP. Charging the rival paper with ‘‘creating problems’’ for his daily, Anwar said, ‘‘It seems these people don’t want plurality of thoughts. We have our own line and ideology.’’

This was reason enough for people to talk of how the paper was launched only to counter the other Urdu daily that is alleged to be close to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Samajwadi Party.