AIMIM’s Shaukat Ali courts controversy in UP with ‘hum do, hamare do darjan’ slogan

Moradabad: A political storm has erupted in Uttar Pradesh after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) state president, Shaukat Ali, unveiled a provocative new slogan on family planning: “Hum Do, Hamare Do Darjan” (We two, our two dozen).

Speaking at a public meeting in Moradabad, Ali declared that he himself has eight children, while his elder brother has 16, and urged Muslims to have “as many children as possible”. He argued that population growth would strengthen India, drawing comparisons with China’s demographic advantage.

“When Allah is giving, take it. Keep taking it as long as He keeps giving. Some people in the country are worried that our population is increasing. But if the population increases, the country will become stronger,” Ali said.

He went further, suggesting Hindus should also have large families, saying, “I will request Hindu brothers to give birth to 14 children so that our country becomes stronger.”

Ali insisted that India, as one of the world’s youngest nations, should not view population growth negatively, claiming critics were often those who “are not marrying”.

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Attack on Samajwadi Party

The AIMIM leader also launched a fierce attack on the Samajwadi Party, singling out former cabinet minister Kamal Akhtar. He alleged Akhtar was involved in selling liquor in Moradabad, remarking: “Everyone knows whose ghazal bar it was here. He himself sells liquor, and then he accuses us of being the B-team of the BJP.”

Remarks on mob lynching and harassment

Ali’s speech extended to allegations of harassment against Muslims, including mob lynching and the closure of madrasas. He claimed Muslim women were being mistreated in public, with veils pulled off and beards forcibly removed.

“Earlier, men used to misbehave with us, but now women are also behaving badly with Muslim women. We have not started this. We have always considered them as big brothers,” he said.

Denial of BJP links

Responding to accusations that AIMIM operates as the BJP’s “B-team”, Ali dismissed the charge, saying: “People accuse us of being the B-team of the BJP. I am a Muslim and the one accusing me is also a Muslim.”