Dalit protest against Imitiaz Jaleel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar puts spotlight back on AIMIM-VBA rift in Maharashtra
Despite the heavy rain in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Monday, a large group of Dalit protesters, many affiliated with Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) gathered at Kranti Chowk, demanding the arrest of former MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Maharashtra president Imtiaz Jaleel.
The protest followed an FIR filed against Jaleel on June 14 under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on allegations that he used a discriminatory slur against Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat.
This protest symbolises a deep and now irreparable rift between the AIMIM and the VBA, two parties that once forged a rare alliance in the 2019 elections, seeking a convergence of the VBA's core Dalit vote base and Aurangabad's sizable Muslim population that together form nearly 29 per cent of the district.
This convergence helped Jaleel get elected as the city's second-ever Muslim MP and the first from the community in over four decades. However, the alliance unravelled soon after Jaleel entered Parliament. The relations between the two parties have steadily deteriorated since, culminating in open hostility with the VBA now openly working to chart Jaleel's political downfall.
What was Monday's protest about?
Former Aurangabad MP and AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel was booked earlier this month by the Aurangabad Police under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case stems from a recent press interaction in which Jaleel is alleged to have used a casteist term while criticising Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat, whom he has repeatedly accused of corruption.
While Jaleel has been targeting Shirsat for several weeks over alleged land and asset irregularities, Ambedkarite groups, particularly the VBA's leadership in Aurangabad, demanded his arrest, accusing him of making anti-Dalit remarks.
Jaleel, however, has denied the allegations, calling the protest 'sponsored and politically motivated'.
'This protest was staged to shield a particular minister. It was entirely orchestrated by individuals claiming to represent the Scheduled Caste community. I have done nothing wrong. The term in question is not derogatory; it appears even in official publications printed by the Maharashtra government,' Jaleel said.
What is the tiff between Jaleel and Shirsat?
The rivalry between Jaleel and Shirsat has intensified ever since the latter was appointed guardian minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in January 2025. Since then, Jaleel has repeatedly accused Shirsat of land misuse and abuse of ministerial power.
The first major allegation came when Jaleel claimed that Shirsat's son, Siddhant, was illegally allotted a 21,275 sq m plot in the MIDC's Shendra Industrial Area in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Jaleel had alleged that the land had originally been reserved for a truck terminus but was de-notified in August 2024. Jaleel alleged foul play and demanded a probe by central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Soon after, Jaleel also targeted Shirsat over the controversial auction of the VITS Hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. After the hotel's original promoters declared bankruptcy, the state government seized the property under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act and began auction proceedings. A reserve price of Rs 64.53 crore was set, an amount that critics, including Jaleel, argued was grossly undervalued.
In May 2025, a firm linked to Shirsat's son emerged as the highest bidder at Rs 67 crore. Alleging that the process was manipulated to benefit the minister's family, Jaleel and others demanded the auction be scrapped. The backlash eventually led to Shirsat's son withdrawing from the deal.
To escalate pressure, Jaleel submitted documents related to Shirsat's land and business dealings to Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, and also urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order an independent investigation.
In retaliation, the Shirsat camp has accused Jaleel of being a political pawn, alleging that he is being used by rivals to discredit the minister. VBA leader Afsar Khan, a former ally-turned-critic of Jaleel, has accused him of using his political influence to purchase properties, including his current residence, at artificially low prices. Khan played a key role in Jaleel's narrow defeat in the 2024 Assembly elections, which he lost by just 2,161 votes.
Why have VBA leaders targeted Jaleel?
The rivalry between the VBA and Jaleel stems from a personal fallout dating back to their brief but impactful alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
While AIMIM had already made inroads in Maharashtra with two Assembly seats in 2014, the VBA was formed in 2018 under Prakash Ambedkar. In 2019, an alliance between Ambedkar and Asaduddin Owaisi brought together Dalit and Muslim voters. It was an experiment that proved successful in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where Jaleel won a stunning upset over four-time Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire by a margin of just 4,492 votes.
However, the partnership was fraught with friction even before the election. Ambedkar had initially announced former High Court judge B G Kolse Patil as the alliance candidate for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. But Jaleel, then a sitting MLA from Aurangabad Central, opposed the move and threatened rebellion from the AIMIM, stating that he would contest as an Independent. It was only after pressure from Jaleel that Owaisi stepped in, forcing Ambedkar to relent and allow Jaleel to contest the seat.
After his victory, VBA leaders accused Jaleel of sidelining Ambedkar and failing to show due respect to the man they saw as instrumental in stitching the alliance together. The perceived snub created a deep personality rift, leading to a formal breakup between the VBA and AIMIM. Since then, Jaleel has been viewed by VBA leaders as the alliance-breaker.
This animosity has continued to shape VBA's electoral strategy. The party has consistently fielded candidates against Jaleel, including in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, where Jaleel lost his Assembly bid by a narrow margin of 2,161 votes. While Ambedkar often avoids directly naming Jaleel in public, second-rung VBA leaders have openly criticised him, painting him as arrogant, disrespectful, and opportunistic.
The ongoing feud between Jaleel and Shirsat has allowed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar's VBA leaders to target Jaleel using the current controversy centred around caste-related allegations as a way to settle old scores with the man they believe 'betrayed their leader'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
At House panel meet, questions on why no FIR after cash seizure at judge's residence
From judges attending ideological meetings to the demand for FIR against Justice Yashwant Varma to judges not following code of conduct rules, the Parliamentary Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice discussed a wide range of issues at a meeting on Tuesday. Among the most asked questions by the committee members was why an FIR was not registered against Justice Yashwant Varma after allegations of cash being found at his official residence. Cash was found at the residence of Justice Varma in Delhi when a fire broke out there on March 14. Justice Varma was indicted by the in-house inquiry on May 8. The government has initiated the process for bringing an impeachment motion against Justice Varma during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. It is learnt that a member also suggested that the 1991 judgment in 'K Veeraswami vs Union of India' case should be relooked and if judges are involved in wrongdoings, they should face an FIR. The Department of Justice Secretary is learnt to have told the panel members that he will get back regarding the demand for an FIR against Justice Varma. The issue of Justice Shekhar Yadav of the Allahabad High Court against whom Rajya Sabha members have moved an impeachment notice also came up. One member wanted to know what action had been taken against Justice Yadav by the CJI. In December last year, Justice Yadav, a sitting judge of Allahabad High Court, had made questionable remarks on Muslim marriage practices and backed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) while speaking at a VHP event. An impeachment notice was submitted by 54 Rajya Sabha MPs against Justice Yadav. At Tuesday's meeting of the committee chaired by BJP MP Brij Lal, another member was said to have suggested that judges should have a cooling off period of five years after retirement during which they shouldn't be allowed to take up any kind of job or work, or political assignments or contest elections. Another member also suggested an increase in the retirement age of judges and that they should get a better salary and pension. The agenda of Tuesday's meeting was to discuss the code of conduct for judges of higher judiciary. Asad Rehman is with the national bureau of The Indian Express and covers politics and policy focusing on religious minorities in India. A journalist for over eight years, Rehman moved to this role after covering Uttar Pradesh for five years for The Indian Express. During his time in Uttar Pradesh, he covered politics, crime, health, and human rights among other issues. He did extensive ground reports and covered the protests against the new citizenship law during which many were killed in the state. During the Covid pandemic, he did extensive ground reporting on the migration of workers from the metropolitan cities to villages in Uttar Pradesh. He has also covered some landmark litigations, including the Babri Masjid-Ram temple case and the ongoing Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute. Prior to that, he worked on The Indian Express national desk for three years where he was a copy editor. Rehman studied at La Martiniere, Lucknow and then went on to do a bachelor's degree in History from Ramjas College, Delhi University. He also has a Masters degree from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. ... Read More
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
Odisha: Minor among 9 held for assaulting 2 Dalit men
The incident, which occurred at Jahada in Kharigumma village in Dharakote police station area on Sunday, triggered widespread outrage in political and social circles after purported videos of the assault went viral. According to Niti Shekhar, DIG, Southern Range, the accused will be produced before a court soon. Bhubaneswar/Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 24 (PTI) Odisha Police on Tuesday arrested nine people, including a juvenile, for their alleged involvement in assaulting and humiliating two Dalit men by tonsuring half their heads and making them crawl on their knees in Ganjam district. PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Two Dalit men were detained by the accused persons on suspicion of cattle smuggling. Their heads were tonsured, they were physically beaten up and forced to crawl on their knees and consume grass and drain water after they refused to pay Rs 30,000 as demanded by the accused persons, a police officer said. The arrested persons were identified as Siba Shankar Mohapatra (25), Satya Sahu (20), Bainath Bisoyi (23), Om Gouda (23), Ganapati Polai (36), Santosh Dakua (30), Shankar Das (25) and Narayan Dakua (30) along with a juvenile, he said. 'Some other people were also involved in the case and the search was on to nab them,' Aska SDPO Santosh Kumar Jena told reporters on Tuesday. The victims were identified as Babula Nayak (54) and Bulu Nayak (42) of Singipur village. The duo was transporting the cattle to gift Babula's daughter at the wedding as per tradition. The police have registered a case at Dharakote police station under different sections of the BNS and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocity) Act, 1989, the officer said. Ganjam Superintendent of Police Suvendu Kumar Patra said that Jena was investigating the matter. The motive of the crime was extortion of money in the name of cow smuggling, he said. 'On 22.06.2025, at village Jahada, two individuals from Singipur were allegedly abused, assaulted, and forcibly tonsured by Rajesh Samal and others,' the Ganjam SP said in an X post. Meanwhile, a group of officers led by Bhanjanagar Sub Collector Uma Shankar Behera visited the houses of victims at Singipur village and provided Rs 10,000 as aid to each of their families from the Red Cross fund for medical expenditure. Earlier, police had sent them to Dharakote hospital for treatment. 'During our visit, the actual victims were not in the homes. We talked with their family members and assured them that all the accused persons would be arrested by the police, as the district administration has taken the issue seriously,' Behera said. Among others, the block development officer, tahsildar and district welfare officer also visited the victims' houses. The Congress expressed anguish over the alleged torture of the two Dalit men and constituted a fact-finding committee to investigate the incident. At a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty termed the incident as 'barbaric' and said it has brought shame to Odisha. 'It is a glaring example of the breakdown of law and order in the state. The current insensitive leadership continues to ignore such incidents, leading to complete administrative paralysis,' the BJD leader said, demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits involved in the incident. The BJD said if the state's BJP government fails to take firm and proactive action, the regional party as a responsible opposition, will be compelled to launch statewide agitation in the coming days. PTI AAM MNB BDC AAM ACD This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
Uttar Pradesh: Stone pelting on Dalit wedding procession, caste tension in Etah village
A constable was injured while a Dalit youth suffered serious injuries, Station House Officer (SHO) of Awagarh police station, Akhilesh Kumar Dixit, said, adding the injured policeman was admitted to the hospital for treatment. Though marriage rituals were completed under the supervision of the police administration after the episode Saturday evening, the situation remains tense at Dhakapura village. No case has been filed, so far. Agra: Caste divisions reared its head last week at a village in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district as fighting and stone pelting took place after upper caste residents objected to a Dalit wedding procession. The marriage of Premkishore's daughter Aarti, a resident of Dhakapura, was fixed with Vikas of Sahapau area in Hathras district, according to the locals. The wedding procession reached the village in the evening. When the procession began passing through the village late at night, upper caste residents allegedly refused to allow it to pass through, saying a Dalit's wedding procession could not be allowed. As tempers rose, the SHO reached the spot with the force and tried to convince both parties but to no avail. The Dalit community alleges that the Thakurs attacked the women in the presence of the police. Amidst the stone pelting and fighting, the women alleged that they were dragged out of homes and beaten and caste-specific abuses were hurled at them. They further accused the police of remaining mute spectators and of not making an effort to stop the violence. However, police have denied the allegations. The bride's cousin claimed the preparations for welcoming the wedding procession were going on when the attack took place. She somehow managed to run to safety. 'There was a minor altercation and light stone pelting between the two parties, but later the marriage was completed peacefully and after reconciliation between the two parties in the morning, the wedding procession was sent off to Hathras,' the SHO said. Anger is simmering among the Dalits but villagers say no one is coming forward openly. Villagers say that due to the police not taking proper action, the men are silent and an atmosphere of fear prevails. 'This incident has once again uncovered the reality of caste inequality in rural areas, which needs to be addressed through education and dialogue, not force,' social activist and Hindustani Biradari vice-chairman Vishal Sharma said. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: How father, son turned study buddies to achieve rare feat—both set to join UP Police as constables
