Who Is Sahar Yunus Sheikh? AIMIM’s 22-Year-Old Youngest Corporator’s ‘Paint Mumbra Green’ Remark Sparks Row

Paint Mumbra Green: Amid a political row over her post-poll remarks, 22-year-old AIMIM corporator Sahar Yunus Shaikh on Wednesday said her reference to “painting Mumbra green” was purely symbolic and linked only to the colour of her party flag, not a communal message.

Sahar Shaikh’s statement had triggered sharp reactions from leaders across parties after the AIMIM won five seats in the Thane Municipal Corporation elections from Mumbra, a Muslim-dominated suburb.

What Sahar Shaikh Said In Her Victory Speech

During her victory address, Sahar Shaikh had said in Hindi that voters should “paint Mumbra green” in the next election cycle so that all winning candidates come from the AIMIM, adding that the party’s strength came from Allah.

The remarks were seized upon by political rivals, who accused the AIMIM of attempting to give the election outcome a communal tone.

‘It Was About the Party Flag,’ Says Sahar Shaikh

Responding to the criticism, Sahar Shaikh said the comment was “pun-intended” and aimed only at highlighting her party’s electoral growth.

“I wanted people to understand that we won five seats this time and aim to win more after five years. The colour of my party flag is green. If the flag was orange, I would have said orange,” she said.

She also questioned why similar references made by other parties with green flags, including the JD(U), RJD and Jannayak Janata Party, do not draw comparable criticism.

When asked whether such colour-coded messaging could still be perceived as communal, Sahar Shaikh said her remarks were being viewed differently because she was wearing a hijab while delivering the speech.

‘Emotional Speech After Denied Ticket’

Shaikh said her remarks came during an emotional moment, pointing out that she contested and won the election after the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) denied her a ticket.

“The speech reflected everything that had happened in the past. I was also trying to politically target the NCP (SP) and Ajit Pawar’s NCP by highlighting that their flags are of a different colour,” she explained.

On Owaisi’s ‘Burqa-Clad Woman’ Comment

Reacting to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s earlier statement about wanting to see a burqa-clad woman become mayor or prime minister, Shaikh said her politics is centred on development and upliftment, not religious polarisation.

“I have never played Hindu-Muslim politics. My campaign was about development. Owaisi never said that a Hindu woman or a Muslim woman without a hijab should not hold office,” she said.

AIMIM Leaders Rally Behind Sahar Shaikh

AIMIM leader Waris Pathan came out strongly in Sahar Shaikh’s defence, questioning the outrage over her remarks.

“What did that young woman say that was wrong? She is educated and defeated a heavyweight candidate. Green is our party colour and is also part of the Indian national flag. Why this allergy to a colour?” Pathan asked.

He dismissed claims that AIMIM’s growth in Maharashtra was a conspiracy, saying the party’s rise was driven by inclusive politics. Pathan claimed the AIMIM currently holds 125 municipal seats and is on track to cross 300–400 seats in the coming years.

“They are uncomfortable because we won votes across communities. We broke their strongholds in places like Mumbra because people want change, not hate,” he said.

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