Badruddin Ajmal

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Mawlānā
Badruddin Ajmal
Ajmal in 2016
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
16 May 2009 – 4 June 2024
Preceded byAnwar Hussain
Succeeded byRakibul Hussain
ConstituencyDhubri
President of the All India United Democratic Front
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 October 2005
Preceded byPost Established
Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly
In office
11 May 2006 – 16 May 2009
Preceded byWazed Ali Choudhury
Succeeded byWazed Ali Choudhury
ConstituencySalmara South
In office
11 May 2006 – 17 October 2006
Preceded byKhalilur Rahman Chowdhury
Succeeded bySirajuddin Ajmal
ConstituencyJamunamukh
State President of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, Assam unit
Chief Executive Officer of Ajmal Foundation
Incumbent
Assumed office
2005
Preceded byPost Established
Personal details
Born (1950-02-12) 12 February 1950 (age 76)
Hojai, Assam, India
PartyAll India United Democratic Front (2005 to present)
SpouseRehana Badruddin Ajmal
Children
RelativesSirajuddin Ajmal (brother)
Alma materDarul Uloom Deoband
ProfessionPolitician, businessman
As of 23 December 2024
Source: [1]

Badruddin Ajmal (born 12 February 1950) is an Indian businessman, politician, philanthropist and Islamic theologian from the state of Assam.[1] He is the state-president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind for Assam. He was the Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Dhubri constituency from 2009 to 2024. In the 2024 Indian general elections, he was the wealthiest candidate from Assam with declared assets exceeding ₹ 155 crore.[2] He is the founder and President of the All India United Democratic Front since 2005. He is also Chief Executive Officer of a non-profit organization, Ajmal Foundation which established 25 educational institutions,[3] schools, and hospitals.[4]

Biography

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Ajmal was born to a Bengali Muslim family from Hojai, Assam. His family traces its origins to the Sylhet district of eastern Bengal.[5] He is the son of Haji Ajmal Ali, a rice farmer who moved to Mumbai in 1950 to try to succeed in the perfume industry using the oud plant. After the opening of the first store in the 1960s, the Ajmal perfume brand quickly grew to become a large brand in the Middle East.[6] He holds master's degrees in Theology and Arabic from Darul Uloom Deoband.[7]

Career

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The son of the founder of Ajmal Perfumes, he established the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in 2005.[8] He is also the president of the Assam State Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.[7] He is a three-time MP from Dhubri constituency.[9] He has been regularly listed among "The 500 Most Influential Muslims" of the world.[10][11]

He is the managing trustee of Haji Abdul Majid Memorial (HAMM) Public Trust, Hojai. This trust is best known for the charitable hospital Haji Abdul Majid Memorial Hospital and Research Center[12] at Hojai, Assam. He also established a hospital at Malua near Badarpur of Karimganj, named as Badarpur Hospital.[13] In 2005, he established Ajmal Foundation, a non-governmental organization based in Assam, India, and operating 25 educational institutions across the state.[14] Since 1995, he has served as director of Shaikhul Hind Academy, a department of Darul Uloom Deoband.[15]

Political activities

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He was the president of Hojai session reception committee of Assam Sahitya Sabha, 2004 and Darul Hadith, Jayanagar Madrassa.[7] Assam Ajmal's political debut came in 2005 after the Supreme Court struck down the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act.[16] Ajmal founded the Assam United Democratic Front, which was renamed the All-India United Democratic Front in 2013.

Before the 2006 Assam assembly elections, Ajmal was politically insignificant. During the 2006 elections however, his party managed to win 10 seats fighting the Congress. He was elected simultaneously from two constituencies – South Salmara and Jamunamukh – by a large margin of votes. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Ajmal won from Dhubri constituency.[16]

In the 2011 Assembly polls, AIUDF won 18 seats and emerged as the largest opposition party in Assam.[17]

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Ajmal was re-elected from Dhubri and his party won 3 Lok Sabha seats. In the 2016 assembly elections, however, the BJP swept the polls and Ajmal himself lost the Salmara South constituency. His party was reduced to 13 seats.[18]

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Ajmal was the only candidate from his party to keep his seat, winning again from Dhubri. With 7 children, he has most children for any Member of Parliament in India.[19] In 2020, Ajmal announced he and Congress would be in alliance for the 2021 polls.[18]

Controversy

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Ajmal's statements have often courted controversy for polarizing Bengali Muslims. Following the 2012 Assam riots, Ajmal claimed the violence was between Bodos and Muslims. The remarks were criticised by an Assamese Muslim group, the Sadou Asom Gariya – Moria Desi (SAGMJ), along with the All Assam Students Union, for ignoring that Assamese Muslim were not involved at all.[16]

On 22 January 2021, at a rally in Dhubri, Ajmal claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a list of 3500 mosques it would destroy if returned to power at the Centre and that “they will not let women go out wearing ‘burqa’, grow a beard, wear a skullcap or even offer azaan at mosques.” The BJP claimed he was making "communal statements" out of nervousness since BJP "will get majority share of Muslim votes" this election. Congress, with whom Ajmal is in alliance, as well as NDA party Asom Gana Parishad also condemned the remarks.[20]

On 7 January 2023, ahead of the Ram Mandir consecration, Ajmal suggested that Muslims should stay indoors and avoid traveling by train, citing fears of anti-Muslim violence. Giriraj Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party criticised Ajmal's comments, saying "BJP does not hate Muslims ... BJP respect all religions."[21]

On 24 February 2025, Ajmal apologized for remarks he had made about Geetashri Tamuly, wife of MLA Akhil Gogoi. When asked about her appointment as a faculty member in a Guwahati college, Ajmal reportedly dismissed commenting on her, calling her an "old woman," but added that he would have spoken if the issue involved a "young woman." His remarks were described as sexist by the youth wing of the Raijor Dal party, and both its youth wing and women's wing filed police reports. Ajmal issued a video apology, stating his words were misinterpreted by the media and reiterating his respect for women.[22]

See also

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References

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