By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: With elections round the corner, a section of UP’s Muslims formally took a step towards Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) extending a hand of friendship on Saturday. BJP, the party considered untouchable too responded with its leader JK Jain assuring to take the matter ahead of talks.
The unique thing about the seminar organised by former MP Ilyas Azmi’s outfit Rashtriya Inquilab Party (RIP) to discuss muslim’s political scenario was that it went ahead and offered its support to BJP albeit with a rider. The demands made for the friendship included scrapping religious restriction of reservation, sub-quota of reservation in the OBC for Muslims and adequate representation to the Muslims in government.
Incharge, Minority Affairs, BJP and former MP JK Jain offered his all support to the Muslims who were present at the Ganga Prasad Hall in Aminabad here in the state capital. “Muslims should remain alert from the pseudo-secularists. It is a misnomer that BJP is anti-Muslims. We will discuss with open heart on the proposal and surely it will materialise,” said Jain.
Though BJP has organised Muslim sammelans in the past at Lucknow with its central leaders Shahnawaz Hussain, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi addressing the Muslims, they were mostly attended by Muslim workers of the saffron brigade. On Saturday, RIP launched by Ilyas Azmi took the initiative and the audience which was not BJP supporters took the step in announcing that there is no harm in supporting BJP if their interests are safeguarded.
“We cannot be befooled everytime around the election and vote with anti-BJP attitude. When report card of every political party on Muslim issues is same, there is no harm in trying BJP,” said general secretary, RIP, Aslam Zaidi.
Ilyas Azmi went a step ahead and claimed that there is no such factor of secular and communal party. “All are political parties and work as per their political benefit. Muslims should keep every party at par and BJP is no exception. We should weigh our interests and include BJP also in it,” he said.
Other Muslim leaders opined that the RIP’s offer of conditional support to BJP has to be reciprocated by the saffron brigade and the outfit is ready for seat adjustment with them on its demands.