BJP minority morcha plans rallies in U.P.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 28. The BJP's minority morcha has decided to hold ``samrasta vikas'' (social equality and development) rallies in Uttar Pradesh from October ahead of the Assembly elections there.

The morcha, at its two-day national executive committee meeting which ended here today, felt that the members should remove ``misperceptions'' among the people that the BJP was communal and anti-Muslim. It blamed other parties for taking up ``non-issues'' such as Haj, promotion of Urdu, and the Babri Masjid even while continuing to exploit the Muslim vote-bank. Instead, the BJP should focus on developmental issues such as education and employment.

However, ironically, the morcha listed the ``increase of Haj quota from 91,000 to 1,20,000'' and subsidy increase by the Vajpayee Government ``from Rs. 112 crores to Rs. 148 crores'' as proof of the BJP-led Government's interest in minorities' welfares. And though the party has often criticised `madrasas' for breeding terrorists, recently the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister set up a `Madrasa Board' for their development while giving university status to the Rampur Madrasa.

Later, the morcha `prabhari', Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, told presspersons that `fundamentalists' were trying to vitiate the atmosphere by protesting against the film `Gadar.' ``We cannot allow fundamentalists who are thoroughly exposed and discredited to create disturbances and vitiate the atmosphere through uncalled for protests against the film,'' he said.

He claimed that more and more Muslims were joining the BJP and there was ``no longer hatred for the BJP among Muslims.'' Enough tickets were given by the BJP to the minorities to contest the elections. ``This cannot be decided on the basis of caste or religion, but on merit,'' he said.

However, it seems some members expressed dissatisfaction that the party had not taken up any specific programmes for the minorities with which they could approach their constituencies. Most of them were sceptical about being able to attract Muslim votes during the Assembly elections.

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Section  : National
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