We should support Muslim women fighting talaq: PM

On a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked his party to pursue the path of socio-economic justice, he said Muslims too must be the beneficiaries of this transformation process, be it women or the backward sections of society.

In his concluding address at the BJP national executive meet here, Modi touched on the issue of triple talaq, saying that Muslim women should get justice. The issue, Modi said, should be addressed through dialogue and not conflict, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said after the meeting.

According to sources, Modi had asked party workers to stand by Muslim women who want to fight triple talaq and added that dignity was guaranteed to all under the Constitution.

Earlier in the day, when the party took up a resolution hailing the government for the Bill granting constitutional status to the OBC commission, the Prime Minister intervened to make a point to reach out to the minority community.  

He said the benefit of this bill would extend not just to backward classes among Hindus, but also backward sections of society among Muslims, sources said.

Besides a political resolution, focusing on the government’s welfare schemes, the BJP conclave adopted a resolution on the OBC Commission Bill, which was referred to the Select Committee in the Rajya Sabha on the insistence of the Opposition.

The BJP took on the Opposition, particularly the Congress, for stalling the legislation, which it described as part of the Modi government’s firm resolve to ensure justice to backward communities, the poor, deprived and downtrodden.

The resolution also asked party workers, “to take a pledge and make efforts towards making backwards aware about their constitutional and legal rights.”

Constituting 52 per cent of the population, OBCs include sections of backward Muslims like Pasmandas.

The focus on the poor and backward classes ran through the two-day meet, be it resolutions or speeches of Modi and party chief Amit Shah. “PM has earned the trust of the poor. Earlier, they were with the Congress but now they are with BJP,” said HRD minister Prakash Javadekar.
 
While Shah delineated the task for the party of politically conquering the country, Modi called for a “long jump” towards building a new India by 2022, the year India completes 75 years of independence, through socio-economic transformation. He said this should dominate the national discourse. “We have done a lot of work but it is not adequate. We have to awaken our purusharth (efforts) and work in a mission mode,” he said.

According to Gadkari, Modi castigated opponents for “manufacturing” controversies like awardwapsi, church attacks and EVM tampering. “These are issues which come and go. You should not focus on these, but on the spirit of the work that we are doing,” he said.

As on occasion in the past, the PM asked his party members to refrain from making out of turn statements. He said they should learn the art of keeping quiet, while cautioning them about their behaviour after victory. In an apparent reference to controversial remarks that sparked off the intolerance debates, he said they should be more careful.

Spelling out his government’s mission, the PM gave the slogan of p2—pro-people and pro-active and g2— good governance, besides jan dhan (economic empowerment), van dhan (environmental empowerment) and jal dhan (water empowerment).

Modi also said the BJP will launch a special campaign for 120 seats which have been out of the party’s reach in the past, sources said.

EMPOWERMENT MAP

• PM puts opposition to triple talaq on the top of BJP’s narrative
   
• Backs special attention for backwards among Muslims
   
• The party has set a target of being in power from Panchayat to Parliament
   
• Laid down road map for strategy to capture around 120 seats which they have never won before in eastern and southern states
   
• BJP has given a fresh push to its outreach to poor, OBCs and deprived sections

Learn the art of keeping silence: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked BJP leaders to learn the art of being silent, striking a note of caution against making untoward remarks.

This is not the first time that the PM has asked party to refrain from making out of turn statements. This time, he said they should be more careful after victory than in defeat, sources said.

The sternness of his message was apparent when he said that a microphone could not force anyone to speak.

In an apparent reference to controversial remarks that have sparked off "intolerance" charges, he said they should not give such chances.