Tahir Hussain begins Delhi polls campaign amidst police presence
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New Delhi: A prominent accused in the 2020 Delhi riots, Tahir Hussain, left the Tihar jail on Wednesday morning and began his campaign for the election in the Mustafabad constituency under police supervision.
Tahir Hussain, a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor, will run in the 2025 Delhi elections on an AIMIM ticket. The Apex Court recently granted him a six-day jail parole for campaigning for the Assembly election.
Hussain stepped out of Tihar jail this morning and reached the Mustafabad constituency, where he interacted with his supporters, greeted local people and also exhorted them to support his candidature. The riot accused was flanked by the police personnel.
The AIMIM candidate has been granted custody parole by the Supreme Court from January 29 to February 3, allowing him to campaign under police supervision for 12 hours daily, from 6 am to 6 pm.
The jailed ex-AAP leader, speaking to IANS, exuded confidence about his good show in the impending elections despite him being ‘abandoned’ by the ruling party, IANS reported.
“Despite spending five years in jail, people of Mustafabad are here to support me. It’s they who will decide my fate,” he said.
Hussain further stated, “After five years, I have had the opportunity to come out of jail, and I am very happy. When I was leaving jail, I was anxious and worried but I am happy now because so many people came here to meet me, to see me, to catch a glimpse of me.”
He said he was not banking on any brand and was rather relying on people’s support.
“The people of Mustafabad are witnessing a son, a brother amidst them. Seeing them come in hordes makes me very happy. I fully trust them,” Hussain stated.
Delhi’s Mustafabad constituency boasts of a huge minority population and the leading political parties have fielded mostly Muslim faces, hoping to encash the sentiments.
Competing against AIMIM’s Tahir Hussian would be Congress candidate Ali Mehdi, son of former MLA Hasan Mehdi. AAP has fielded Adil Ahmad Khan, a journalist-turned-politician.
BJP has nominated Mohan Singh Bisht, a sitting MLA from the neighbouring Karawal Nagar.