Twitter
Advertisement

Modi government to begin minority outreach from riot-hit Mewat

This comes close on the heels of Modi speaking about not treating Muslims as vote banks at a BJP conclave.

Latest News
article-main
Narendra Modi at the party meet in Kozikode.
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

At a time when India was trying to isolate Pakistan, the Modi government is launching a minority outreach programme back home by holding 100 "Progress Panchayats" across the country, including in border areas.

The exercise by the minority affairs ministry will begin on Thursday from Mewat, Haryana's Meo Muslim-dominated region, which had recently witnessed tension over the rape of two women and a "beef in biryani" row.

This comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicating his government's vision on secularism and Muslims. Modi had spoken about not treating Muslims as vote banks but as "your own", while addressing BJP leaders at a party conclave, a day after he tore into Pakistan calling it a hub of terrorism at a public rally at Kozhikode.

In the Prime Minister's words at the national council meeting, while invoking Jan Sangh ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay on the approach towards Muslims and the last man in the queue, was a message for the party to move with the changing political narrative, a BJP leader said. At the same time, Modi had said that even 50 years ago, the thinking of the Jan Sangh, as articulated by its ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay, was not to alienate the Muslims.

The two major messages from the just-concluded conclave--"garib kalyan" and the definition of secularism-- have filtered down to the cadre, party leaders said. For the BJP, which would have to shed its pro-industry and anti-minority image, the outreach has a long-term vision, they said.

A BJP leader said that with the old Ram Mandir chanting core constituency moving on, the party too was turning to a soft hindutva.

The Muslim outreach comes at a time when there was tension in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh, where the community is a crucial electoral factor, is heading for assembly elections early next year.

The minority affairs ministry's exercise was aimed at trying to build the confidence of the Muslims, who have been voting for a party which can defeat the BJP, sources said. It has identified 100 minority-dominated places, several of which are in border areas, to hold the Progress Panchayats , all of which will be attended by minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi along with representatives of the minority communities. It will culminate after three months in an "Antyodaya Samagam" at the Talkatora Stadium in the Capital.

The development-oriented programmes would be held in around half a dozen places in Maharashtra, including Nagpur, where the RSS has its headquarters. Besides, it would be held in Punjab, West Bengal, Kerala and northeastern states, where the minorities have significant presence. With Uttar Pradesh being poll-bound, there are no immediate plans to hold such a panchayat in the state, sources said.

The ministry decided to begin its outreach programme from Mewat, where the party had lost three assembly segments even when it swept the state. The next could be held in Rajasthan's Alwar, which also has Meo-Muslims, who are mostly Hindu converts.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement