During the voting for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections on Saturday, 9 December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raked up a relatively obscure name, Salman Nizami.
Addressing the crowd at a rally at Lunawada, Modi tore into Nizami, who describes himself as a "Congress Politician/Writer" on Twitter. The PM accused Nizami of using unacceptable language against him, as well as espousing the cause of Kashmir’s independence and calling army personnel rapists in his tweets.
Nizami categorically denied these accusations, asserting that he has never put out any anti-India tweets or statements, and that the tweets which were used by Modi to justify his allegations were fake. Speaking to The Quint, he said:
In the past, I have written against terrorism. Then how can I write such tweets? My account was hacked and those tweets did not come from me.Salman Nizami
Modi’s mention of Nizami came just a day after a report was aired on Times Now, detailing how Nizami has been fielded by the Congress to "woo Muslim voters" in Gujarat, and how is tweets in the past are reflective of his "allegiance to the Azadi League”, which wants Kashmir to be independent.
And interestingly, as the controversy has come to the fore, the Congress has sought to distance itself from Nizami, with party leaders denying his association with the party. However, Nizami claimed otherwise, asserting that he occupies the post of the publicity secretary in the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC).
‘Proud to be Indian & Will Die as an Indian’: Nizami
Addressing a rally in Gujarat’s Lunawada, PM Narendra Modi brought up Nizami’s name as he continued to decry the abuses purportedly hurled at him by Congress leaders in the past.
He (Nizami) wrote on Twitter about Rahul ji’s father and grandmother. That is okay, but he asks: ‘Modi tell me who is your mother, who is your father?’ Such language can’t even be used for your enemies... He calls for Azad Kashmir, he calls our army (personnel) rapists. How can the people accept someone like Salman Nizami? He also says there will be an Afzal (Guru) from every home.PM Modi
The remarks swiftly snowballed into a political firestorm, as Nizami countered Modi’s accusations in a series of tweets. Indicating that the tweets quoted by Modi to disparage him were fake, he said that he had filed a complaint with the police over the photoshopped tweets.
He also went on to reiterate his family's sacrifice for the nation.
I am being mentally harassed, and the whole incident just shows how difficult it is for the people of Kashmir to come into the mainstream.Salman Nizami to The Quint
“Nizami Who?”
Immediately after the controversy erupted, members of the Congress scrambled to deny Nizami’s association with the party.
Ghulam Ahmad Mir, JKPCC chief told The Quint:
As per our records of the 2016-17 membership drive, Salman Nizami is not registered as a primary member so far.Ghulam Ahmad Mir, JKPCC chief
Immediately after Modi's speech, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla also claimed that the party does not know who Nizami is, and that he does not hold any position in the party.
We don’t know who Salman Nizami is. He does not hold any position in the party. We can also say that there is some random person called Ram Lal in the BJP who said something.Congress leader Rajiv Shukla
However, Nizami maintained that he still occupies the post of the publicity secretary in the JKPCC.
I have spoken to the high command in the party. They know about the sacrifices I have made. The leaders who gave their comments immediately after Modi’s speech should have asked me about my stand on the issue first.Salman Nizami to The Quint
Nizami’s Blog – Praising Rahul Gandhi, Slamming Modi
On his personal blog, Nizami describes himself as a "writer, politician and social activist" who has "remained active in media for more than 10 years" and is presently "associated with the Indian National Congress".
In several of his blog posts, he has praised Rahul Gandhi and slammed Modi, comparing him to Trump and criticising his demonetisation move.
(This story was updated after The Quint received a statement from Salman Nizami.)
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