In order to strengthen its prospects for the Delhi Assembly Polls, the Delhi BJP is going all out to placate various sections of society; the minorities being the latest on the spree. Noted cartoonist Hanif Azhar and other personalities from various walks of life joined the BJP on Tuesday in presence of Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel.
Azhar, who has written famous comic books like Nagraj, Shaktiman, Ram-Rahim and Goga, among others, is also the scriptwriter of the popular TV serial Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chasmah. Party leaders said induction of Azhar would serve a dual purpose — improve party’s image within the minority community and connect with young voters who have grown reading comics by Azhar.
Speaking on the occasion, Azhar said BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s development policy has inspired him to join the party.
Denying any aspiration to participate in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, Azhar said that he, along with his supporters, would work to spread Modi’s policy of inclusive growth.
Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel, on the other hand, accused the Congress-led Government in Delhi of misleading the minorities for the last 15 years. Goel said that the Muslims could see through the doublespeak of Congress. “There is a growing support among Muslims for BJP’s agenda of ‘corruption-free development' in Delhi,” he added. Speaking to The Pioneer, Goel also claimed that several retired bureaucrats would be joining the BJP in the coming days.
“Several retired bureaucrats are in constant touch with us. We expect them to join the party shortly,” Goel said.Delhi BJP’s Minority Cell president, Atif Rashid, said that these leaders joined the party after they realised that Congress party was befooling them for over six decades. “According to National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data, Muslims face high levels of poverty in Delhi. It says that 31 per cent Muslims live below the poverty line in Delhi. Only 23.7 per cent Muslims are in Government jobs while 6.5 per cent are in private jobs in the Capital,” he added.