BJP urges backward Muslims to take advantage of pro-poor policies

In an attempt to target the Muslim vote bank, BJP has now reached out to backward section of the community, urging them to take advantage of the pro-poor policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government.

A large-scale meeting of Muslims belonging to backward castes was organised in Delhi's Talkatora stadium on Tuesday. Thousands of Muslim men and women from different parts of the country came to attend the meting. Former Member of Parliament and Bihar BJP leader Sabir Ali, organised the meting here in Delhi. The party has plans to organise more such meetings in the coming days in Patna, Lucknow and other parts of the country.

Minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who was also present in the meeting alongside Sabir Ali on Tuesday said that Muslims have not been able to take advantage of the welfare schemes for minorities and claimed that Modi's 'pro-poor' policies will uplift them.

Interestingly, it was Naqvi who had raised objections to Ali's induction into the party before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. He had called him "a friend of a terrorist" and said that if Ali is joining the party Dawood too might join in.

His outburst had forced the party to cancel Ali's membership and Ali had then filed a defamation case against Naqvi. In 2015, before the Bihar assembly polls Ali joined the party again and both the leaders patched up. On Tuesday, Naqvi praised Ali's ground efforts for the poor members of the community and mentioned how he has helped them take their movement forward.

Addressing Muslims drawn from various states in the meeting, Naqvi said, "Parties like the Congress, TMC and JD(U) that came to power on the strength of Muslims support are the ones that have been opposing the bill that would have benefitted the backward members of the community."

In the party's national executive meeting held in Bhubaneswar last month, Modi had asked party members to reach out to the backward Muslims, saying they will also benefit from his government's bill that seeks constitutional status for the OBC Commission. The bill was stalled by opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha.

There are 84 such groups, like qureshi, momin and weavers, among Muslims which would get help from his government's development push for the poor and backward. There is a large population of these castes among Muslims in the country.

"The educated Muslim does not necessarily need help because they have jobs and facilities. But the class that needs help is the backward class of the community. The policies that are meant for minorities do not reach them, which is why we want to now reach out to the backward class," said Saqib Khan, a BJP member.

It is not often that the BJP or its leaders organise events especially targeting Muslims, but in the current regime, the party has been trying to get Muslims in their favour by targeting them on class basis.

ONE BILL, ONE INDIA

• In the party’s national executive meeting, Modi had asked party members to reach out to the backward Muslims.
   
• He said backward Muslims will also benefit from the bill that seeks constitutional status for OBCs.
   
• There are 84 such groups, like qureshi, momin and weavers, among Muslims which would get help from  this.