Meraj Khalid Noor

Meraj Khalid Noor
Born	Bihar, India
Nationality	Indian
Known for	Resemblance to Osama bin Laden

Meraj Khalid Noor also known as Osama of Bihar is an Indian politician and communal harmony activist who is mainly known for his supposed resemblance to Osama bin Laden.^[1] He campaigned for the Lok Janshakti Party in the 2004 national elections, then for Rashtriya Janata Dal in the 2005 Bihar state elections. He wanted to run against Narendra Modi in the 2014 national elections but could not get a party to back him. He subsequently formed Rashtriya Awami Movement, a new political party but was dismissed as a candidate by the electoral authorities. He is now looking after his business and is no longer is politics.^[2][3][4] He is also the founder of Awami Insaf Morcha, which tried to form a third front in the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.^[5]

Background

Meraj Khalid Noor's grandfather Qazi Muzahidul Islam was once president of the Muslim Personal Law Board.^[6] His father, Noor Ahmad, was politically linked to the socialist George Fernandes.^[7] Noor is often called "Bihar's Osama bin Laden" due to the similarity of his appearance to that of the former leader of Al-Qaeda. He is tall, has a long black beard, and always dresses in white robes and a turban, as did bin Laden. He has said that his resemblance to bin Laden is his main political asset. According to Noor, "I am neither a good speaker nor a leader with any support base".^[7] He also said he does not have the same leadership qualities as bin Laden.^[8][9]

Political career

2004 national elections

Noor asked the Lok Janshakti Party to sponsor him as a candidate in the 2004 election for the Lok Sabha, but was rejected. However, he campaigned in Bihar for Ram Vilas Paswan of the LJP.^[10] Paswan took him along to election meetings, hoping to win support away from Lalu Prasad Yadav, leader of the state's Muslims. Paswan told a reporter that Noor's father was an old friend, and they had joined the old Socialist Party together. Asked about the bin Laden image, Paswan agreed that some Muslim youth looked up to bin Laden, but said most Muslims were against him.^[11]

2005 Bihar state elections

Noor changed his political allegiance in September 2005, and in the 2005 elections for the Bihar Legislative Assembly campaigned for Lalu Prasad of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.^[7][12][13]

2014 national elections

On 18 April 2014 Noor said he would run for election in the Varanasi constituency in the 2014 Indian general election, competing against Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).^[7] He said, "Modi is Ravan and is spreading hate across the nation.^[14] As a true Indian, I will not allow him to impure the water of the Ganga."^[8] In the 2014 elections, with bin Laden dead and strong competition from Modi, neither Paswan nor Lalu Prasad would have anything to do with him. Noor was not offered a ticket by any political party but was prepared to run as an independent. He launched his own party, Rashtriya Awami Movement (RAM) India. It sought harmony between Muslims and Hindus and hoped to stop “communal forces” from spreading their tentacles in the country.^[15]

There were 78 hopeful candidates for election in Varanasi, a very visible Lok Sabha seat due to the publicity to be gained from competing against Modi. Noor was among the 34 candidates who were rejected by the election's authorities.^[16]

References

1. "Paswan's Laden in Lalu's Bihar". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
2. IANS. "India's 'Osama bin Laden' missing from election arena". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
3. Khushbu; Hindi, India TV (28 April 2019). "बिहार: चुनावी परिदृश्य से 'ओसामा बिन लादेन' गायब". India TV Hindi (in Hindi). Retrieved 8 January 2025.
4. Khan, M. I. "Bihar's 'Osama bin Laden' to contest against Modi from Varanasi". Rediff. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
5. "Bihars Osama tries to cobble coalition for crucial assembly polls". Zee News. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
6. archive, From our online (28 April 2019). "Bihar's 'Osama bin Laden' missing from election arena". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
7. "Bihar's 'Osama' to contest against Modi in Varanasi". The Hindu. 18 April 2014. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
8. "Noor to contest against Modi". web.archive.org. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
9. archive, From our online (16 May 2012). "No one wants Bihar's 'Osama' this time". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
10. "Paswan employs Osama clone". The Times of India. 19 January 2005. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
11. "The other 'Osama' who had a brief brush with fame - Look-alike of slain al Qaida chief flaunted by Lalu Prasad & Paswan in 2005 but move did not pay off". Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
12. "Bihar elections: Political parties woo Muslims as they look beyond Lalu Prasad Yadav". India Today. 14 February 2005. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
13. "From stopping Advani's rath to Osama-look alike: 5 things you didn't know about Lalu Prasad Yadav". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
14. "Taking on Modi — independents with quirks". The Hindu. 22 April 2014. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
15. IANS (28 March 2014). "Bihar's 'Osama bin Laden' is now an untouchable (Election Special)". Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
16. "34 Lok Sabha nominations rejected in Varanasi; 44 left in fray". The Economic Times. 25 April 2014. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 8 January 2025.