 "Voters won't succumb to BJP's doublespeak: Naseem Khan")
The Congress is stepping up its attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for raking up the Ram temple issue and, at the same time, attempting to lure Muslim voters by promising a national commission for madrassa development. Maharashtra’s minister for minority affairs, Naseem Khan, who was instrumental in launching the modernisation of madrassas and the empowerment of the Waqf Board in the state, took a swipe against BJP and Modi, saying voters would not succumb to double speak. In an interview with Sanjay Jog, Khan revealed his party's campaign strategy to counter the ‘Modi wave’. Edited excerpts:
The BJP has promised a Ram temple, a uniform civil code and an abolition of Article 370 in its manifesto. Is the party serious about these issues and will it be able to get votes this time?
By reviving these controversial issues in its manifesto released ahead of the first phase of polling, the BJP has shown its true colours and yet again revealed its communal agenda. It is no more a secret that the BJP and Modi are quite desperate to polarise voters. The BJP has been exposed as being power hungry. During the 2004 and 2009 elections too, the BJP had made similar promises but failed miserably as the Congress scored stunning victories. As our party high command has said categorically, the present Lok Sabha polls are a fight between two ideologies. I am quite confident that voters will not vote for the BJP's communal card but again support the Congress which not only believes but practices secular principles.
This is the BJP’s poor attempt to woo Muslim voters. You must first give credit to the Congress-led government in Maharashtra for a cabinet decision taken in September last year to modernise Madrassas (Islamic seminaries) with a view to linking them to the mainstream education system. Around two lakh students study in Madrassas in Maharashtra, which has about 3,000 such seminaries. Each Madrassa will get Rs 2 lakh a year and Rs 50,000 as a one-time fund for a library. However, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance opposed the decision. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had called the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ‘fundamentalist’, while state BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis had alleged that the decision was taken considering the Muslim vote bank. How has the BJP suddenly changed its mind? It should clarify as to what were its compulsions to promise modernisation of madrassas. On the one hand, the saffron party assures a Ram temple and a uniform civil code and on the other, plans to modernise madrassas. This exposes the BJP's doublespeak. The BJP, with its ally Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, are dividing the country on communal lines. I sincerely hope that voters will not fally prey to these tactics.
Is Modi wave prevalent in Maharashtra?
I have so far addressed more than 45 meetings across the state. I do not see any Modi wave. This is BJP's marketing campaign especially through electronic media. On the contrary, voters will vote for pro-inclusive growth agenda of Congress led UPA during the present elections.
How the ruling Congress-NCP alliance is tackling anti incumbency?
Let me clarify that there is no anti incumbency in Maharashtra. I must admit that Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's Mr Clean image and his leadership are party's major strength. We are approaching voters with a slew of development programmes initiated by the Centre and state governments. Its results are quite visible on the ground. Congress-NCP combine is quite optimistic to improve its tally in the state.
The BJP has promised a Ram temple, a uniform civil code and an abolition of Article 370 in its manifesto. Is the party serious about these issues and will it be able to get votes this time?
By reviving these controversial issues in its manifesto released ahead of the first phase of polling, the BJP has shown its true colours and yet again revealed its communal agenda. It is no more a secret that the BJP and Modi are quite desperate to polarise voters. The BJP has been exposed as being power hungry. During the 2004 and 2009 elections too, the BJP had made similar promises but failed miserably as the Congress scored stunning victories. As our party high command has said categorically, the present Lok Sabha polls are a fight between two ideologies. I am quite confident that voters will not vote for the BJP's communal card but again support the Congress which not only believes but practices secular principles.
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The BJP has also promised a ‘National Madrassa Modernisation Programme’. What is your comment?
This is the BJP’s poor attempt to woo Muslim voters. You must first give credit to the Congress-led government in Maharashtra for a cabinet decision taken in September last year to modernise Madrassas (Islamic seminaries) with a view to linking them to the mainstream education system. Around two lakh students study in Madrassas in Maharashtra, which has about 3,000 such seminaries. Each Madrassa will get Rs 2 lakh a year and Rs 50,000 as a one-time fund for a library. However, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance opposed the decision. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had called the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ‘fundamentalist’, while state BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis had alleged that the decision was taken considering the Muslim vote bank. How has the BJP suddenly changed its mind? It should clarify as to what were its compulsions to promise modernisation of madrassas. On the one hand, the saffron party assures a Ram temple and a uniform civil code and on the other, plans to modernise madrassas. This exposes the BJP's doublespeak. The BJP, with its ally Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, are dividing the country on communal lines. I sincerely hope that voters will not fally prey to these tactics.
Is Modi wave prevalent in Maharashtra?
I have so far addressed more than 45 meetings across the state. I do not see any Modi wave. This is BJP's marketing campaign especially through electronic media. On the contrary, voters will vote for pro-inclusive growth agenda of Congress led UPA during the present elections.
How the ruling Congress-NCP alliance is tackling anti incumbency?
Let me clarify that there is no anti incumbency in Maharashtra. I must admit that Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's Mr Clean image and his leadership are party's major strength. We are approaching voters with a slew of development programmes initiated by the Centre and state governments. Its results are quite visible on the ground. Congress-NCP combine is quite optimistic to improve its tally in the state.