Jamaat-e-Islami launches political party in AP

The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, India's biggest Muslim socio-religious organisation, has finally taken the plunge into politics and formed its own political party, the Citizens for Welfare and Justice, with the agenda of eradication of poverty and corruption and ensuring justice for all.

The new party, which will test its strength in the forthcoming local body elections in Andhra Pradesh, was unveiled at a public meeting in Hyderabad where its members from different parts of the state took an oath to strive for clean politics.

Abdul Jabbar Siddiqui, convenor of the new party announced that they will nominate only people with good character and clean image in elections. "We will also strive to ensure that the fruit of the welfare schemes of the government reach all the deserving people."

Siddiqui said his party's area of work will not be confined to the Muslim community but will work for the entire society. "We will work to eradicate caste discrimination, exploitation of the weak and put an end to the loot by politicians," he said.

A religious scholar, Moulana Mufti Mohiuddin Sadiq, told the meeting that at a time when the politicians want to accumulate enough wealth for seven generations, people coming forward to cleanse politics should be welcomed.

With this move the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, which once opposed voting by its members, has come a long way.