On Wednesday (October 5), the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) pleaded with lawmakers from New Jersey to ban BJP leader Sambit Patra from entering the United States. The Islamist outfit accused Patra of being ‘Islamaphobic’ and hoped that the US government would revoke his visa.
“IAMC leaders urged the New Jersey lawmakers to ask the JoeBiden admin to revoke the visa of Sambit Patra, an Islamophobic leader from India’s ruling BJP, who was the grand marshall at the August 14 parade,” it said in a tweet on Thursday.
IAMC leaders urged the New Jersey lawmakers to ask the @JoeBiden admin to revoke the visa of @sambitswaraj, an Islamophobic leader from India’s ruling BJP, who was the grand marshall at the August 14 parade +++ 5/
— Indian American Muslim Council (@IAMCouncil) October 6, 2022
In a press release on October 5, the Indian American Muslim Council said that a delegation met lawmakers from the New Jersey General Assembly and Senate and supposedly handed them ‘evidence’ of Hindu supremacist organisations in India and the US.
The Islamist outfit sought a probe into organisations such as Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The meeting of the IAMC delegation with New Jersey politicians was part of ‘outreach programme’ to strengthen the relationships of Muslims in the State with the lawmakers.
“New Jersey’s lawmakers have a duty towards their constituents to ensure that the alien hate ideology of Hindu supremacism is stopped at the state’s borders and not allowed to vitiate the peace here,” claimed IAMC (New Jersey) President Mohammad Jawad.
The Background of the Controversy
The Jamaat-e-Islami-backed organisation has been seeking the revocation of Sambit Patra’s visa since August this year. On August 14, the Indian Business Association (IBA) took out a parade in Edison township of New Jersey in the United States.
In the visuals shared on social media, Indians were gathering in large numbers and waving the Tricolour with pride. Assemblyman for New Jersey District 18, Rob Karabinchak, also joined the Indians to celebrate Edison’s 18th India Day parade.
Today, I was honored & happy to attend the 18th annual India Day Parade in Edison.
— Asm. Rob Karabinchak (@RKarabinchak) August 14, 2022
The Indian American community in Edison & throughout New Jersey is so vibrant and vital to our district, I am proud to support for the local community and the growing number of Indian American.🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/wD0L4LaqYh
The National spokesperson of the BJP, Sambit Patra, was invited to be the Grand Marshal of the parade.
In visuals shared by the parade attendees, Sambit Patra was seen interacting with Indians in Edison and clicking pictures with them.
Some Indians were seen leading the parade with bulldozers, adorned with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath. “Baba ka Bulldozer,” read one such banner.
India Square
— bhavesh dave (@bombay411) August 15, 2022
Iselin – New Jersey 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸08830 pic.twitter.com/EM4XJQApRs
While the purpose of such a display was to congratulate the swift action by the Modi government, Islamist outfit IAMC cried foul over it. “Hindu right-wing in Edison, New Jersey marched with bulldozers, which have become a weapon in the hands of the BJP government to destroy Muslim homes and livelihoods.”
Today, the Hindu right-wing in Edison, New Jersey marched with bulldozers, which have become a weapon in the hands of the BJP government to destroy Muslim homes and livelihoods. pic.twitter.com/3M3GKj8kcq
— Indian American Muslim Council (@IAMCouncil) August 15, 2022
In a press release dated August 22, IAMC claimed that ‘Baba Bulldozer’ was a “reference to Adityanath’s illegal and criminal usage to use bulldozers to demolish homes, businesses and places of worship of Muslims and Christians.”
The Islamist outfit roped in the Christian community in the hopes of making a stronger appeal to the New Jersey lawmakers, many of whom identify as Christian. However, none of these allegations are rooted in reality.
The bulldozers have been used to destroy illegal structures, irrespective of the Faith or political affiliations of the accused. Recently, the Uttarkhand government demolished the resort owned by son of ex-BJP minister Pulkit Arya in connection to the murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari.
Despite this, IAMC has remain fixated on the display of bulldozer in the India Day parade in Edison, where BJP leader Sambit Patra was the grand marshal.
“IAMC also wrote to the US Secretary of State urging for an immediate cancellation of the visa to Sambit Patra, a Hindu extremist hate leader from India and a non-US citizen, who led the hate parade in Edison and Woodbridge as its grand marshal,” the press release read.
On Monday (October 5), the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) again met New Jersey lawmakers and begged them to communicate to the Biden administration about revoking the visa of Sambit Patra.
What is IAMC and what does it do?
The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and had even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom).
A detailed report by Disinfo Lab has exposed its links with terror outfit Jamat-e-Islami. IAMC founder Shaik Ubaid and member Abdul Malik Mujahid have headed the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the US front for Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan.
According to DisInfo Lab, ICNA has established links with Pakistan-based terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rasheed Ahmed, who heads the IAMC currently was the former executive director of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA). IMANA’s Director of Operations is Zahid Mahmood an ex-Pak Navy official.
IAMC has been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It was also slapped with UAPA in 2021. The Islamist outfit also awarded cash prizes to journalists from ‘The Wire’, ‘Newslaundry’ and Scroll to further their anti-India agenda.
