According to news item in the Times of India dated 3rd July, 2008, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's description of the India-US nuclear deal as ‘anti-Muslim’ has clerics from the community eating out of her hands. And the Samajwadi Party is not amused.

A host of prominent Muslim leaders met Mayawati on Wednesday and extended their support on the issue. Among them were Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, vice-president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Maheli, Naib Imam of Edgah Aishbagh, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Imam of Teele Wali Masjid, Shia Ulema's Maulana Hameed-Ul-Hasan and Maulana Naim-ur-Rehman of Islamic Centre.

Maulana Sadiq said the nuke deal does not sound good. "We have reasons not to believe what America says. This is a reason good enough to reject the deal," he told TOI. "Our contention is national as well as Islamic."

A series of meetings between SP leaders, including general secretary Amar Singh, with defence minister Pranab Mukherjee and other Congress leaders in the last 24 hours have provided the UPA with fresh hopes of sailing through the nuke deal issue. The clerics' full-throated approval of Mayawati's line could cause some discomfort among the UPA's constituents. But Amar Singh put up a brave face and said Mayawati was spreading ‘falsehood’ about Muslim votes shifting to BSP.

“Our forefathers spilled their blood for India's independence. We can't let go our freedom like this,” said Maulana Khalid Rashid, who is also a member of AIMPLB's executive committee.

“America's view on Muslims is no secret. This leaves hardly any scope for Muslims to accept that the US will judiciously exercise the powers that it will hold once the deal is signed,” said Maulana Rehman. “We are happy that Mayawati has aired minority sentiments openly and emphatically.”

Mayawati also asked senior officials to keep in regular touch with Muslim leaders and take steps to solve their complaints. An official statement issued by the government said a delegation of Shia and Sunni Muslims met the CM ‘to communicate that they were with her on the nuclear deal issue’.

To me it appears that Mayawati and her ilk are trying to politicise the difference between Hindus and Muslims over various subjects like Israel Palestine conflict, US intervention in Afghanistan, US attack on Iraq, Iran's going nuclear, Kashmir issue and the issue of Pakistan and Bangladesh illegal migrants as well as Indo-US nuclear deal.