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Congress, Left parties alienated Muslims : BJP

Special Correspondent

"These parties emotionally exploited the minorities"

JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party's Minority Morcha has accused the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Telugu Desam Party and the Left parties of alienating the Indian Muslims from the rest of society and depriving them of their "Indian-ness" for the sake of votes. These parties emotionally exploited the minorities by creating apprehensions in their minds about the followers of the Sanaatan religion (Hinduism), it charged.

The national executive of the BJP Minority Morcha in its political resolution at the three-day convention now under way here found fault with the Congress and Mohammed Ali Jinnah for the "conspiracy" which divided the country on the basis of religion. The Congress and other parties, which created hatred and fear in the minds of Muslims, were the biggest obstructions in the mental, social and cultural development of Muslims in the country, it said.

Accusing the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre of indulging in "vote bank politics", the BJP minority front warned against the Sachar Committee's attempts to take stock of the presence of minorities in the armed forces, judiciary and other areas of public life. "The Muslims will get nothing out of this. Instead, it will disturb the communal fabric in the country," the morcha resolution said while demanding the scrapping of the Sachar Committee.

The convention blamed madrasa education for the slow progress of Muslims. Lack of proper education was keeping the Muslims away from contributing to national development. "The Morcha is of the view that the contribution of 12-15 per cent Muslim population to the nation's progress is negligible. The outdated madrasa education is responsible for this."

"The BJP has been the benefactor of Muslims and other minorities. The party is concerned about their backwardness," said the resolution which appealed to the minorities not to get lured into the trap of the Congress and other parties.

The convention, also addressed by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and State BJP president Mahesh Sharma, said the Minorities Morcha would initiate a survey of madrasas. It will attempt to introduce new subjects without interfering in the religious education provided by them.

Ms. Raje in her address said the BJP Government treated the minorities as participants in the development process and not as a vote bank.