PM Narendra Modi's statement to please US & shed his communal image: Uttar Pradesh ministers

Uttar Pradesh Minister Ramgovind Chaudhary on Saturday alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that Indian Muslims will live and die for India, was made "to please" United States and shed his "communal image".

The state minister for primary education urged the Prime Minister to ask Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), VHP, Hindu Jagran Manch and other Hindutva organisations to adopt his views.

"Samajwadi Party president has often said that BJP needs to change its mindset on Muslims. It seems that Modi has taken it seriously and only repeated Mulayam Singh Yadav's opinion that Muslims are patriots," he told reporters here.

Chaudhary alleged that "the Prime Minister's statement was made out of compulsion to please the US and to shed his communal image. "Despite everything, he cannot wash off the blot on his image."

State minister for stamps and registration, Ambika Chaudhary while welcoming Modi's remark said that before issuing the statement he ought to have won over the confidence of Muslims for his party so that they would take them seriously. 

"Modi need to ensure that BJP leaders' behaviour reflect his views on the subject," she added.

The Prime Minister said in a television interview that Indian Muslims will live and die for India and that they will not dance to the tunes of terror outfit Al Qaeda. "My understanding is that they are doing injustice towards the Muslims of our country. If anyone thinks Indian Muslims will dance to their tune, they are delusional.

"Indian Muslims will live for India, they will die for India--they will not want anything bad for India," he told CNN in a rare media interview.