On Friday (11th October), AIMIM Delhi chief Shoaib Jamai stirred the hornet’s nest by asking Muslims to economically boycott the Hindu community in Himachal Pradesh.
In a tweet, the controversial Islamic cleric stated, “All limits have been crossed. Let us start an economic boycott. I request Muslim businessmen, who buy apples from the mandi in large quantities, to boycott purchases from Himachal Pradesh.”
For the unversed, the majority of apple farmers in the State are Hindus who sell their produce in mandi (wholesale market). Shoaib Jamai was essentially asking his co-religionists to boycott the Hindu community.
“Do not buy anything from this market of hate,” the AIMIM Delhi Chief continued his tirade. He also invoked Allah and promised to not buy anything from Himachal Pradesh during the winter.
“We need the entire secular society to come forward to defeat hate,” Shoaib Jamai claimed although he was the one dividing the society along religious lines.
However, he took a U-turn in less than 24 hours and began mouthing platitudes about safeguarding the ‘secular fabric’ of India. Shoaib Jamai first tried to downplay his sinister agenda to boycott Hindus by claiming that he got ’emotionally carried away.’
Maybe I got emotionally carried away.
— Dr. Shoaib Jamai (@shoaibJamei) October 12, 2024
No hatred for any community. Absolutely not. I always believe in the secular fabric of the society. Whole bharat is one. Love all. Previous Tweet was misinterpreted.
Though I was involved personally with Shimla sanjauli case. In a process to… pic.twitter.com/1HKqopJrgR
No hatred for any community. Absolutely not. I always believe in the secular fabric of the society. Whole bharat is one. Love all,” he alleged.
The AIMIM Delhi chief quietly removed his old tweet, claiming that it was ‘misinterpreted. “I met with Muslim traders there. Understand their pain. Just wanted to echoed their voice when they felt alone. But nobody listen,” he continued.
After asking Muslims to boycott Hindus, he thanked the ‘secular’ Hindu community in Shimla for their unwavering support. The sudden ‘change of heart’ of Shoaib Jamai could be the realisation that a counter-boycott campaign would be an economic disaster for the Muslim community.
Controversies of Shoaib Jamai
Earlier this year, the AIMIM leader unleashed his ‘Sar Tan se Juda’ lynch mob against scientist Anand Ranganathan for supporting Nupur Sharma.
“The Muslim community must take note of the matter,” he tweeted. Shoaib Jamai warned that if action was not taken against Anand Ranganathan, then, his radical followers might create unrest.
In September this year, BJP leader Jairam Thakur demanded the arrest of Shoaib Jamai for creating religious tension over the disputed Sanjauli mosque.
