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Playing the Congress’s most trusted card of communalism, party chief Sonia Gandhi made special appeal to Muslims to vote in a way to prevent split of so called secular votes.
Speaking in a meeting with Muslim delegation led by Jama Masjid Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari, she made an appeal to the minorities to not to divide secular vote bank.
“One of the main reasons I entered politics was to safeguard and promote secularism,” Bukhari quoted Gandhi as saying, adding she appealed for a united move to stop the so-called secular vote from splitting.
In an attempt to woo Muslim community, she said only Congress-led UPA Government could implement new schemes and programmes for minorities.
The meeting, which took place at Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence on Tuesday, lasted for 45 minutes, during which Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari apprised her of various issues pertaining to the community.
Sources close to Bukhari said a decision to support Congress has been finalised and an official announcement is likely to come on Friday.
“During the meeting, issues like innocent Muslim youths being arrested in terror cases, reservation in education, communal riots and security, implementation of Sachar Committee and Ranganath Misra Commission recommendations and anti-communal violence bill were discussed,” Jama Masjid spokesperson Rahat Mehmood Chaudhary said.
“The most important thing she said was that in the current political scenario in the country, secular votes should not split in the upcoming Lok Sabha election and they should come together to vote against communal forces,” he said.
A day before the meeting, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla had met Bukhari and invited the Muslim leaders to meet the Congress president.
Source : Niti Central
