Waseem Rizvi announces new political party

Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Board of Waqfs Chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Monday. Pic/PTI

Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Bard Chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi on Monday announced a new political party, Indian Shia Awami League (ISAL), and said it aims to safeguard the interests of Shia community and also work for social harmony.

Rizvi also supported construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya and said that mosque could be constructed at some other place. "We want to build a good Hindu-Muslim relationship," he said. Waseem said ISAL will fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and ally with parties supporting its agenda.

He alleged that the Shia community has been deprived of benefits of government schemes under a conspiracy. "It constitutes about 20 per cent of the Muslim population and has been exploited by fundamentalist section of the Muslim minority," he said. He alleged that benefits under the government schemes, meant for the minorities, were largely reaped by the Sunni community.

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