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The BJP and its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi have been repeatedly maligned by so-called secular parties of being communal. But ground realities are different.
Not a single day goes when the media doesn’t forget to remind people of the Godhra riots that occurred eleven years ago. However, in an interview to a Hindi TV channel, the general secretary of Jamiat Ulema Hind, Maulana Mahmood Madani had a different take.
This take will surely put all the secular parties to shame and make them run for cover. Madani after openly supporting Modi, dared Congress, Samajwadi Party, BSP and other secular political parties by saying the that there are more Muslim youths in the jails of Maharashtra than in Gujarat, and that more communal riots have taken place in Rajasthan and UP than in Gujarat.
This is the stark reality which may come as an eye opener not only to the Muslims of this country but to the people in general. During the interview, he said, “I don’t say anything publicly or secretly just to show that I support Narendra Modi. But if I compare Gujarat with other States like Maharashtra and Rajasthan, then people will say that I am supporting him. I remember the fact that since 2002, there has been no communal riot in Gujarat, but in the last two years, more than four dozen riots have taken place in Rajasthan and in the last one-and-a-half year, in Uttar Pradesh there were more than 102 riots. Please tell me who is right and who is wrong?”
Madani further stated that there are two lines of thinking in India — one is inclusive, the other is divisive. We expect the Congress to promote inclusive thinking, but unfortunately, the party is not doing so. In fact, some of its leaders are creating situations which appear to be divisive. This is quite unfortunate for the country.
In such a situation, Madani said, we are left with no option but to oppose them. The number of Muslims in Maharashtra jails are much higher than those in Gujarat jails. When I say this, they say I am supporting Narendra Modi, but I am only highlighting the facts.”
To a question about the Congress’s accusation that he was supporting Narendra Modi, he said, “Those who are raising such questions should introspect. Then they won’t have the courage to question me. Since 2002, I was the one who opposed Modi the most. On March 23, 2002, we held the first conference and since then have been organising till today.”
He admitted that Muslims in Gujarat voted for the BJP in municipal election. He told the channel, “The BJP won in such places during the municipal election, and I said Muslims may have voted for them. I never said Muslims throughout the country will vote for them.”
Madani also alleged that when Godhra riots happened, many Congress leaders were physically involved in it. “My father had given a list of 17-18 such people to Sonia Gandhi. But nothing happened,” Madani said. When asked about whether he will tell Muslims about it, he replied, “This is not a contest between individuals. They have made it Rahul versus Modi. Modi speaks good, but this should show in his actions too”.
Asked whether Muslims voters would resort to the way they have been voting for years, he said that Muslims are not the only ones who engage in tactical voting. Citing examples, he said that in Punjab, Akalis do the same. Dalits will also do so because they feel that if more people of their choice are elected, they will stop those whom they don’t like.”
During the interview, Madani came down heavily upon the ‘so-called secular parties’ who he said were trying to create fear in Muslims just for their votes. He said that instead of indulging in such petty things, they should work for them and then let them decide for whom to vote for.
Source : Niti Central
