Every movement gives birth to new political faces. In Deoband, it is Iram Usmani, one of the five women who led the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in January 2020, under the banner of Mutahida Khwatin Committee (MKC).
Two years later, Ms Usmani, a housewife, is busy canvasing for the SP candidate Kartikeya Rana in the narrow lanes of the town where women in hijab are ubiquitous. “The BJP is flogging a dead horse. Their Hindu-Muslim agenda has been rejected by the people in this election. So, their affiliate groups are finding newer ways to fragment people and demonise Muslims,” said Ms. Usmani.
Article 25 of the Constitution, she said, provided them the right to practice their religion and uphold their religious identity. “Covering your head has been described as wajib (duty) in Islam and it doesn’t hurt anybody. In fact, many Hindu sisters also like to cover their heads,” she added.
