Mamman Khan, a Congress candidate, achieved a resounding victory in the Jhirka assembly seat in Nuh, Haryana, winning by a margin of 98,441 votes.
According to data from the Election Commission, Khan secured a total of 1,30,497 votes.
However, Khan’s victory is clouded by controversy. He is currently facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for his alleged role in inciting the communal violence that erupted in Nuh on July 31, 2023.
While Khan’s success can partly be attributed to strong support from the local Muslim community, reports suggest that he also gained backing from illegal Rohingya immigrants residing in the area.
Nuh, a district in Haryana, has a significant Muslim population, making up roughly 80% of its residents. This demographic is reportedly shifting further due to an influx of illegal Rohingya migrants. Following the violence in Nuh, police arrested several Rohingya refugees on suspicion of involvement in the communal unrest.
But there are more sinister plots waiting to be unearthed. On October 7, Organiser Weekly released a video showing a madarsa in Nuh that allegedly caters to these illegal immigrants. In the video, children attending the makeshift madarsa are heard saying, “Non-believers will burn in hell.” According to reports, around 400 illegal immigrants live in the area.
The teachers there admit that they belong to Myanmar (Burma) and have entered India illegally. They proudly said that they have faced no problems in Nuh and are living here as ‘Mehmaan’ (guests). Speaking on camera to the journalists from several media houses , they boasted of teaching children Urdu, Pashto, Farsi, English and Hindi.
The journalists were also allowed to speak to the children who shared their ambition to become “Hafiz,” or individuals who have memorised the Quran, rather than pursuing careers like doctors or engineers.
One Rohingya refugee openly admitted that he crossed into India illegally from Bangladesh in 2016 to escape violence in Myanmar. He acknowledged that he lacked a passport or visa and crossed the border with help from facilitators.
As per media reports, he also claimed that his only form of documentation was a UNHCR refugee card, lacking any Indian-issued identity documents. This raises questions about the impact of unchecked immigration on local communities, especially amid ongoing communal tensions.
The findings also raise several difficult questions for the Congress party. Is Congress backing these outsiders deliberately? Why is Congress siding with those who are giving shelter to Rohingyas? Is the party using the Rohingyas as a votebank? Will the party come clean on the role of Rohingyas in its victory?