MP fears mass city rally could spark Covid wave
Senior councillor criticised for speaking at Kashmir protest
ABIRMINGHAM MP has criticised a mass rally outside the council’s headquarters that, he believes, cranked up the Covid risk to residents.
And Khalid Mahmood, member of Parliament for Perry Barr, has condemned the city council for not opposing the gathering which, he claims, flouted its own lockdown regulations.
He has also slated councillor Waseem Zaffar for speaking unmasked at last Wednesday’s “freedom for Kashmir” gathering.
His comments have been dubbed “ridiculous” and politically motivated by Councillor Zaffar.
A co-ordinator for the Labour Friends of Kashmir movement, the Birmingham City Council cabinet member stressed he did not organise the event, maintained social distancing at all times and only removed his mask to speak when satisfied the crowd were more than three metres away.
Cllr Zaffar also pointed out he was not the only councillor present at the gathering.
Mr Mahmood, who is from Kashmir, believes there were close to 1,000 people at the event. Some were wearing protective masks and social distancing, some not.
Organisers did, however, urge people to stay two metres apart. Mr Mahmood said: “The Kashmir issue is extremely important and extremely important to me and I have been fighting this cause for a long time. I have explained my views.
“I did not think it would be necessary to attend a rally because I felt it would be putting the people of Kashmiri origin at risk. With the infection increasing again, I’d be putting myself at risk.”
The 49-year-old MP has undergone a kidney transplant and suffers from diabetes.
He added: “This is a difficult period for all of us – a lot of people have made huge sacrifices to ensure they do not infect people and get the infection.
“The council has certain regulations it must follow, there must be people from the council there to ensure things are going on satisfactorily.
“The guidelines say there should be no more than 30 people at a rally. If there are, there has to be markings.
“There was none of that. This could cause significant infection and, if it does, how do you track the people who were there?
“It was wrong for the event to take place the way it did and Cllr Zaffar, who has said he himself has underlying health issues, was wrong to attend and make a speech. “He is a person people look up to and Lozells (the councillor’s ward) has a high infection rate.
“There were a lot of failings, failings at a time when we are facing the possibility of another total lockdown.
“This has happened with other authorities and they have apolo- gised for it. They have said they were wrong.”
Birmingham City Council stated it did not have the power to pull the plug on rallies – that is a matter for the police. “Ultimately, they are the ones with the power to disperse gatherings under Covid-19,” explained a spokesman.
But the comments
MP’s were greeted with an angry rebuttal by Councillor Zaffar.
He said: “I had absolutely nothing to do with the organisation of this event. I had reservations about going because I have underlying health issues, but I decided I had to do something. I had to show solidarity.
“The event was pretty well organised. They (organisers) had put down chalk markings in Victoria Square.
“And I told the crowd, ‘I will only speak if you step back’.
“When I wasn’t speaking, I found a space where the next person was three metres away – and I wore a mask. I went above and beyond guidelines. “In fact, when an organiser came too close, I physically pushed him away. I didn’t shake hands with anyone. I was not the only councillor present. When the Black Lives Matter demonstration took place, there were councillors and MPs present and noone said anything.
“When a Kashmiri councillor turns up to a Kashmir demonstration, suddenly there’s a problem. It’s ridiculous, it’s nuts. This attack on me is just politics and I’m not going to stand for it.”
There are around 150,000 residents of Kashmiri origin in the Birmingham area.
This attack on me is just politics and I’m not going to stand for it Cllr Waseem Zaffar, right