Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi asserted that there can be no more secular party than the BJP.
New Delhi:
Alleging that for the Congress secularism is a “machine to divert the vote”, the Minister of the Union, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, declared on Sunday that the BJP is the most secular party and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “l ‘icon of our constitutional commitment to secularism “.
The Minority Affairs Minister also claimed that Muslims’ “strong support” for Prime Minister Modi was visible in the assembly elections and that they were slowly aligning themselves with the BJP.
In an interview with the PTI, Naqvi said that the congressional alliance with the All India United Democratic Front of Badruddin Ajmal in Assam, the Secular Indian Front in West Bengal and the Muslim League of Indian Union in Kerala had “exposed” the secular party label on the communal bag. ” Politics.
“For the Congress, secularism is a machine to divert votes, while for us, it is a commitment in favor of inclusive development. The Congress is therefore isolating itself because it has nothing to do with it. say nor any achievement to show, ”Naqvi said.
Affirming that there can be no more secular party than the BJP, Mr. Naqvi declared: “Prime Minister Modi is the icon of our constitutional commitment in favor of secularism”.
Mr Naqvi said Narendra Modi is a prime minister who after coming to power bowed to the Constitution before taking the oath and said those who voted for us and those who did not vote for we are equal to us.
There can be no better example of inclusive mentality and secular thinking, added Naqvi.
He said secularism for the BJP and the Modi government is a constitutional mission and resolution, while for “pseudo-secularists” it is a way of hijacking votes.
Claiming that the BJP would form the government in West Bengal, return to power in Assam and achieve a strong performance in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, Naqvi said that feeling defeat, opposition parties have already started making excuses by questioning EVDs. and make “attacks” against the electoral commission.
“They are writing letters for unity, they tried earlier to line up but failed miserably,” he said in obvious reference to TMC supremacist letter Mamata Banerjee to leaders no. -BJP in which she said the time had come for a “united”. and an effective fight against the BJP’s alleged attacks on democracy and the Constitution.
Asked about Badruddin Ajmal’s claim that the BJP is trying to polarize voters by showcasing his beard and skullcap, Naqvi said that in this country no one has to fear “topi or tilak”.
This country is inclusive in thinking and its DNA is to take every section of society with it, he said.
By saying all this, they want to impress their constituents and gain sympathy, he added.
“These days it’s a tendency to seek sympathy, someone will break their leg, someone will say my ‘daddy’ (beard), ” topi ” (cap) is affected , someone will start chanting mantras, someone will wear a topi inside while wearing a tilak outside, this is nothing but ‘election buffoonery’, ”said Mr. Naqvi.
Asked whether the BJP raised the issue of illegal immigrants in the Assam polls, the minister said the issue was not community but national.
Illegal immigrants are the most harmful to Muslims in this state because they usurp their rights, he argued.
Mr Naqvi also rejected suggestions that the BJP was withdrawing from the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Assam, saying that “we are not in withdrawal, our government has been working for five years there and we’re talking about the work we’ve done. for the people. “
“Ajmal sahab considered himself a kingmaker and used to say that he had the key to power, now he is worried that he lost this key,” Naqvi said.
Regarding the BJP giving tickets to Muslim candidates at the assembly ballot boxes, he said Muslims had always received tickets from the BJP, but the basis was still winnability.
“We are a political party and we take everyone, we do not believe in excluding a part of society,” he said.
Elections in Assam are held in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6, while polls in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry will take place in a single phase on April 6.
Elections for the West Bengal Assembly take place in eight phases which began with the ballot for 30 seats on March 27. The count of all seats will take place on May 2.
