Shiite Muslim cleric reaffirms praise for Rajnath Singh, calls Congress communal and divisive

Shiite Muslim cleric, Kalbe Jawad, reaffirmed his praise for the Bharatiya Janata Party's president, Rajnath Singh, by comparing him to BJP's former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who still retains position of most popular leader in Uttar Pradesh despite of not being involved in politics anymore.

Kalbe Jawad on Saturday , reiterated his praise for Rajnath Singh, as prime ministerial candidate while adding that Muslims were upset with Narendra Modi after the 2002 riots in Gujarat.

Jawad also clarified that his meet should not be seen as a political motive to garner Muslim votes.

"If we meet someone that does not mean that we are their supporters. He went to meet other clerics also but that was not raised. Leaders of other parties have been coming to meet us, said he.

Jawad said though Rajnath might be the president of BJP's but prime ministerial candidate Modi's image is not very good amongst large number of Muslim voters in the country and the idea of a secular government among the masses was not in the form of BJP.

"We said that if BJP comes to power then Rajnath Singh would be a better candidate to be the prime minister because he has the reflection of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Muslims will accept him more than they support Narendra Modi because Muslims are upset with Gujarat riots. So it was interpreted as our support to Rajnath Singh, which is not true" he said.

He also took swipes at the ruling Congress calling it communal in nature that follows divisive policies and a party which will be boycotted by all minorities in the ongoing general elections.

"Our call is only to boycott Congress. It should be boycotted because it is the most communal political party. Muslims have been harmed by the Congress the most. They are most hypocrite because they are deceiving the Muslims under the guard of being secular. They are wearing a mask of loving the minorities," Jawad added.

Rajnath Singh had met Muslim clerics on Monday to garner support of their community.

Meanwhile, Jawad had said after the meet that Muslims were afraid of Modi and would receive less number of seats only because of him.

Singh's meeting with Muslim clerics has triggered a political debate as BJP had earlier pilloried Congress party's president Sonia Gandhi for meeting a Muslim delegation led by Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari and had accused her of spreading communalism.