Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind clerics stressed that its opposition to the BJP and RSS was only because of their 'communal and divisive politics'. Clerics of the Sunni Muslim outfit said that they could support them if they shunned politics of hatred.
Addressing a conference on national integration inlucknow on Wednesday night, national president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Maulana Syed Arshad Madani said that they have no lust for power, and that they oppose the BJP only because of its sectarianism and divisive politics.
"Neither the Jamiat nor Muslims have any personal opposition to the BJP. If the BJP shuns its politics of hatred, catch hold of those spreading it, ensure punishment to them and encourage peace and brotherhood, people will definitely support them," he said.
Stressing that only a handful of people wanted to spread hatred and harm the country, Madni said that peace loving people of the country would teach the BJP a lesson in 2019 general elections, if it was seen giving the hatemongers a free hand.
Also alleging that a large number of Muslim youths have been jailed without conviction for as long as 20 years, Madani said that the aim behind this was to prove that 'Islam did not espouse peace, and instead was a religion of separatism'.
Maulana Madani also spoke about Jamiat's decision to fight the case of a Muslim labourer from West Bengal in the court, who was allegedly hacked and burnt to death in Rajasthan in the name of 'love jehad' on December 6.