In the upcoming Bihar elections where the JD(U)-RJD-led alliance is counting on the aggressive polarisation of Muslim voters, the BJP State leadership is equally hopeful that the minority community is not going to fall into the trap of the rivals.
In an exclusive interview to The Pioneer, senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, widely seen as the party’s choice for the Chief Minister’s post, claimed that the minority community perceives the Bihar BJP differently, and State party leaders have gone extra miles to protect the interests and sentiments of Muslims.
“It’s all about perception. In Bihar, Muslims have no reasons to be uncomfortable with the BJP. They have seen how during the nine years of power-sharing with the JD(U), we backed all pro-Muslim welfare schemes and opposed any attempt to communalise politics,” Modi said.
The BJP leader said he himself has been hosting Iftar parties for the last 20 years, and shares best of relations with the opinion-makers of the minority community. “I expect Muslims to judge us by our action and not by the false propaganda unleashed by our rivals,” he said.
The former Deputy Chief Minister claimed that in contemporary politics the credibility of the so-called secular parties stands thoroughly compromised, because when it suits them, most of them have no qualms in doing business with the BJP. “It’s only when they are on the opposite side of the divide that they start beating their chests about the need to protect secularism,” he said.
“Nitish Kumar remained in power for close to nine years with our help. The BJP was not communal then. Suddenly we have become untouchables. I’m sure people will see through this chicanery,” Modi said.
He pointed out that during nine years of power-sharing in Bihar, there was not a single occasion when the BJP Ministers opposed any Muslim welfare schemes initiated by Nitish Kumar. “Can anyone cite a single case when we discriminated against the minority community in BiharIJ There is an attempt to whip up fear among Muslims. We will not allow these elements to succeed. Our track record in Bihar speaks for itself,” Modi said.
The former Deputy CM pointed out that BJP Muslim candidate Saba Zafar won from the Muslim-dominated Assembly segment in Purnia in the 2010 Assembly polls, and two of the BJP Muslim candidates stood second and third in the Assembly bypolls in 2014, which took place along with the lok Sabha elections. “It shows that the Muslims are not hostile to the BJP in Bihar,” he said.
Claiming that the BJP is gaining acceptance among Muslims, Modi pointed out that some well-known Muslim leaders from Janata Dal (U) like former Minister and member of Parliament Munajir Hussain, former Excise Minister Jamshed Ashraf, and former Minister Akhlaq Ahmad have joined the BJP. “If such prominent Muslim leaders can join the BJP, why should the minority community distrust us,” he asked.
Modi admitted that there was not much personal anti-incumbency against Nitish Kumar, who enjoyed a relatively clean image as a performing Chief Minister, but asserted that people are looking for a change. “Nitish Kumar may claim he has delivered on so many fronts during the last ten years, but it’s a fact that for nine years we were part of the Government and our Ministers did better job than the JD(U) Ministers.
Today, people are realising that lalu Prasad was doing the backseat driving, and that has brought back the memories of the dark days of the lalu regime,” he added.
Modi said during the last one year of the NDA rule at the Centre, Muslims have realised that the impression created about Narendra Modi is grossly false. “Muslims across the country are living in peace. Some people might have made random comments to touch their sensibilities, but in Bihar nothing of that sort has ever happened,” he asserted.
The former Bihar Minister also ruled out that black money or land Bill is going to be an electoral issue in Bihar. “Everyone knows that we are making serious efforts to crack down on those who have illegal foreign accounts. This can’t be done in a day,” he said.
Modi said that few among the RJD and JD(U) cadres understand the complexities of the land Acquisition Bill, whereas the BJP has launched an aggressive campaign to educate farmers about the benefit of the legislation. “The State has seen no protest by farmers against the land Bill,” Modi said, adding “farmers are not unhappy with the Modi Government, but their real grouse lies against the Nitish regime, which has completely neglected their welfare and not paid their outstanding due of Rs 1,500 crore towards paddy purchase.”
He alleged that the State has also failed to provide relief to farmers during unseasonal rain and hailstorm and has completely neglected the wheat procurement.
Modi claimed that attempt to make the Bihar elections into a secularism vs communalism debate will fail miserably because people are more concerned about the issues of development and meeting their daily needs. “Country is changing, and it’s time our rivals realise this truth. They raised the bogey of communalism in the lok Sabha polls, but failed. This time again they are going to bite the dust,” he asserted.