BURY'S Jinnah Day Care Centre is embroiled in an angry row over claims the Asian establishment is being run "undemocratically."

And an action committee has been set up to investigate why many people within the Muslim community had their applications for membership rejected.

Watching events closely is Bury Racial Equality Council which has already passed many similar complaints to Bury Council.

The centre, based in Alfred Street, was opened in 1996 and is run by an executive committee in conjunction with the local authority's Social Services department.

However Mr Tariq Mahmood, of East Street, Bury, is angry at the way the executive is handling membership applications.

"I and many other people have been turned down and given no reason. As far as I am concerned, the centre is being run undemocratically."

He was the architect of the meeting, attended by more than 60 delegates, which climaxed with the setting up of the action committee.

He has written to Social Services chiefs, on behalf of the action committee, seeking support for the centre's membership process to come under scrutiny. Dr Mohammed Salim, chairman of Bury Racial Equality Council, attended the meeting and is closely monitoring developments.

He said BREC had received letters of complaints from people within the Asian community turned down for membership. But he stressed: "We have no axe to grind and we would like to see the situation resolved and would encourage a peaceful solution."

Chairman of the Jinnah's executive committee, Mr Mohammed Muneer, denied the centre was being run undemocratically.

"We have a membership panel which considers each and every application."

He dismissed the claims and accused certain people of attempting to gain control of the centre.

"We are certainly not undemocratic and our exective committee is appointed by the members every twelve months," stressed Mr Muneer.

"We have around 100 members and I want this centre to run smoothly and perfectly. We have done nothing wrong."

Social Services chairman Coun John Costello said he had not received the letter, which the action committee said they'd sent him, and therefore could not comment.

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