Shehzad Poonawalla: Difference between revisions

'''Shehzad Poonawalla''' is an Indian politician, political commentators and activist from [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]]. He was a member of the [[Indian National Congress]] and worked as a secretary of the [[Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee]]. He opposed the election of [[Rahul Gandhi]] as the [[President of the Indian National Congress|party's president]] in 2017 and called the process "rigged".

Poonawalla is from [[Pune]], Maharashtra. He is a member of affluent [[Aga Khan]] family. He is a [[Muslim]] but states his "culture" [[Hindu]], and feels reverence for [[Ganesha]].<ref name="IndiaTV2015">{{Cite news |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/what-ganesha-means-to-a-muslim-like-me-54644.html |title=What Ganesha means to a Muslim like me |publisher=[[India TV]] |date=17 September 2015 |access-date=17 August 2020 |last=Poonawalla |first=Shehzad}}</ref> He is a brother of [[Tehseen Poonawalla]], who is a Congress Party supporter and speaks for the party in many news channels debates. He joined an academic programme specialising in politics and government at the [[MIT World Peace University|MIT School of Government]], Pune, and subsequently studied law. He interned with Congress politician [[Suresh Kalmadi]].<ref name="Print2018">{{Cite news |url=https://theprint.in/politics/the-burden-of-self-styled-congressmen-poonawallas-on-the-party/79044/ |title=The burden of 'self-styled Congressmen' Poonawallas on the party |work=[[The Print]] |date=5 July 2018 |access-date=12 August 2020 |last=Phadke |first=Manasi |location=Mumbai}}</ref>

Poonawalla is known for his strong [[right-wing]] outlook.<ref name="Print2019">{{Cite news |url=https://theprint.in/india/delete-political-tweets-on-ayodhya-verdict-up-police-tells-shehzad-poonawalla-rana-ayyub/318134/ |title=Delete political tweets on Ayodhya verdict, UP police tells Shehzad Poonawalla, Rana Ayyub |work=[[The Print]] |date=9 November 2019 |access-date=16 August 2020 |last=Bhardwaj |first=Deeksha |location=New Delhi}}</ref> He entered in politics at the age of 16.<ref name="MoneyControl2017">{{Cite news |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/who-is-shehzad-poonawalla-the-congress-man-questioning-rahul-gandhis-elevation-2453305.html |title=Who is Shehzad Poonawalla? The Congress man questioning Rahul Gandhi's elevation |publisher=[[Moneycontrol.com]] |date=4 December 2017 |access-date=13 August 2020}}</ref> He joined the [[All India Congress Committee]] (AICC) as a volunteer in 2008 after his internship with Suresh Kalmadi.<ref name="MoneyControl2017" /><ref name="Print2018" /> He was the vice-president of the [[National Students Union of India]]'s Pune wing and worked in the media cell of the AICC. Before the 2017 [[Pune Municipal Corporation]] election, he was given a responsibility by the [[Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee]] to provide his "inputs" for Pune.<ref name="AsianAge2016">{{Cite news |url=https://www.asianage.com/mumbai/maharashtra-poonawalla-cong-s-counter-asaduddin-owaisi-757 |title=Maharashtra: Poonawalla is Congress's counter to Asaduddin Owaisi |work=[[The Asian Age]] |date=2 May 2016 |access-date=16 August 2020 |location=Mumbai}}</ref> He was also tasked with a responsibility because of his "strong credentials as a young Muslim face across India" to formulate a strategy of Congress against the "growing clouts" of the [[All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen]] in Maharashtra.<ref name="AsianAge2016" />

He joined the media research team of the Congress Party in Delhi after finishing his course at MIT School of Government, Pune. His brother, Tehseen Poonawalla, also moved to Delhi with him to pursue his business there.<ref name="Print2018" /> Shehzad worked with senior Congress leaders including [[Digvijaya Singh]], [[Rajeev Shukla]] and [[Manish Tewari]] in their offices.<ref name="Print2018" /> In the preparation for the [[2012 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election]], Congress in-charge for the election, Digvijaya Singh, selected Poonawalla brothers to operate the party's campaign office at [[Lucknow]].<ref name="Print2018" /> Both the brother helped [[Tejashwi Yadav]] to run a [[Social media marketing|social media campaign]] for him after the resignation of [[Nitish Kumar]] from the position of the [[Chief Minister of Bihar]] due to the corruption charges against Yadav who was the Deputy Chief Minister in Kumar's cabinet.<ref name="Print2018" /><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nitish-kumar-resigns-as-bihar-chief-minister-tejashwi-yadav-lalu-yadav-grand-alliance-jdu-meeting-governor-4768045/ |title=Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar Chief Minister |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=27 July 2017 |access-date=12 August 2020 |location=New Delhi}}</ref>

  |quote  = Those who have no internal democracy can't work for people... I want to tell this youngster Shehzad – you have done a brave thing but this is sadly what has always happened in the Congress.

A day before when [[Rahul Gandhi]], who was the vice-president of Congress Party then, filed his nomination for the election of the [[President of the Indian National Congress]] on 4 december 2017, Poonawalla tweeted that he approached the office of Rahul Gandhi to provide him proofs that election process of the party was not fair and expected that Gandhi would stop the election but, he claimed, the office "insulted" him. He made an allegation on 29 November 2017 that the internal poll of the party was "rigged" in favour of Rahul Gandhi and his elevation was "selection [and] not an election".<ref name="ZeeNews2017">{{Cite news |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/rahul-gandhis-office-insulted-me-claims-shehzad-poonawalla-2062688.html |title=Rahul Gandhi's office insulted me, claims Shehzad Poonawalla |work=[[Zee News]] |date=3 December 2017 |access-date=12 August 2020 |agency=Zee Media Bureau}}</ref> The party announced unopposed election of Rahul Gandhi as the president on 11 December 2017 stating he "was the only one to file nomination".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-be-named-congress-president-today-live-updates-1786100 |title=Congress President Election: Rahul Gandhi Officially Named Congress Chief |work=[[NDTV]] |date=11 December 2017 |access-date=12 August 2020 |last=Marwaha |first=Nonika |location=New Delhi}}</ref> Poonawalla had shared his interest in contesting the election but expressed his frustration that Rahul Gandhi enjoyed "unfair advantage" in the party for being the member of [[Nehru–Gandhi family]]. His action of going public with such allegation was criticised by the President of [[Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee]] [[Ashok Chavan]] who dismissed it as an attempt of getting "cheap publicity".<ref name="ZeeNews2017" /> Poonawalla family including Shehzad's mother and his brother Tehseen, who is the brother-in-law of [[Robert Vadra]] (brother-in-law of Rahul Gandhi), cut off ties with Shehzad after this incident as the family supported the elevation of Rahul Gandhi for party's presidency and expected Shehzad to raise the matter at inter-party forum instead of approaching media.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-don-t-know-anyone-by-name-of-shehzad-poonawalla-tehseen-disowns-his-own-brother-2564872 |title=Don't know anyone by name of Shehzad Poonawalla: Tehseen disowns his own brother |agency=[[Asian News International]] |work=[[Daily News & Analysis]] |date=4 December 2017 |access-date=12 August 2020}}</ref> However, he was lauded by the [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Narendra Modi]], who was campaigning for [[Bharatiya Janata Party|his party]] during the [[2017 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election]], and called him "brave".<ref name="NDTV2017">{{Cite news |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/praised-by-pm-congress-rebel-shehzad-poonawalla-talks-of-secret-tape-1783076 |title=Praised By PM, Congress Rebel Shehzad Poonawalla Talks Of Secret Tape |work=[[NDTV]] |date=4 December 2017 |access-date=12 August 2020 |last=Sanyal |first=Anindita |location=Mumbai}}</ref>

Poonawalla is a political and social activist. He was a strong proponent for an anti-lynching bill, ''Manav Suraksha Kanoon'' ({{lit|Human Protection Law}}), and came against [[cow vigilante violence in India]]. He is active on [[Twitter]] and uses the platform for sharing his political criticism including against the leaders of Congress.<ref name="Print2018" /> He has been vocal about the issues related to students welfare and freedom in the universities including related to [[Banaras Hindu University]], [[Film and Television Institute of India]] and [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]] in media.<ref name="MoneyControl2017" />