By Abdul Bari Masoud, M M News
New Delhi: Realizing the scene of political war not being favorable one without Muslim support the war room strategists of BJP seems to be making a the last hour attempt to woo Muslims and make their PM candidate Narendra Moodi an acceptable face among the Muslim community. His propaganda managers have roped in some Urdu newspapers to reach out the Muslims. After Rashtriya Sahara (Urdu), weekly tabloid Nai Duniya hit the stand on Thursday with Modi’s interview. However, both the interviews appeared as ‘fixed’ one devoid of any sharp questions.
The interview taken by Nai Duniya’s editor-cum publisher Shahid Siddiqui seems to be a crude PR exercise for Modi. He bragged on the cover page of the tabloid “No one dares to ask prickly questions to Modi as he did”. But if one goes through the whole interview spreading three of 22 pages weekly, he will not find a single question that puts Modi in an awkward position.
Some questions he asked including what is his stance on secularism; whether it will remain part of the Constitution; will the benefits of affirmative actions to minorities to be continued; whether minority ministry will be scrapped?
However, the most interesting and ridiculous question regarding insecurity feeling among Muslims. Shahid put the question as Modi’s formation of the next government is certain. He asks, “In the NDA government what step you will take to instill confidence in minorities particularly Muslims for their safety and security?
Shahid did not ask why he (Modi) refused to implement central government minority scholarship in his state despite Gujarat High Court’s injection; rather his government went to the Supreme Court. Why the Muslims did not secure any benefit from his model of development as the Planning Commission’s latest report stated that more than 40 per cent Muslim live under below poverty line. He did not ask why Muslims are living ghetto life in his state as in Ahmadabad’s Jovhapur locality nearly four lakh Muslims living without basic amenities.
It appeared that the interview was fixed as questions were patterned to provide the saffron leader an opportunity to justify his approach towards Muslim community. Further, out of three photographs published in the page, two showed to justify the community’s support to Modi. In one photo, a burqa-clad woman is giving her wishes to Modi by keeping her hand on his head, another photo showed Modi hugging a man with skull cap. The last photo was that of the editor, Shahid Siddiqui. Notably, when Siddiqui had published Modi’s interview two year back, he was sacked from Samajwadi Party following furor in the Muslim community. Besides, the interview, the weekly also carried other reports and articles attempting to create a soft image of Modi. One report, titled as “Fear of Modi in Muslims” quoted two Muslim persons one from Ahmadabad and other one from Patna. Mohammad Amin Bhai praises Modi while Patna man Dr Mushtaque Aalam says there was no Modi when Bhagalpur riots, Hashimpura and Maliyana killing took place means to justify Gujarat riots.
Shahid Siddiqui’s latest attempt seems to make sure his Rajya Sabha seat as he has been in political wilderness after being lost the 2009 Lok Sabha election from Bijnore seat. After hopping from Congress to SP to BSP to Rashtriya Lok Dal, now his stock of political stamina is over. And, now he wants to jump the Modi bandwagon in the hope of getting a seat in the Upper House.
Earlier, Rashtrya Sahara also carried Modi’s interview on its Urdu channel and daily paper. In both interviews, there were no question s regarding the Gujarat pogrom and fake encounters and saffronisation of the state. Sources privy to both interviews said though these were fixed but with riders that no question related to riots and Modi’s private life will be asked. It is also learnt the propaganda mangers of Modi sent feelers to Urdu newspapers as Gujarat government was reportedly bearing all the responsibility of hospitality. Despite riders, both the interviews failed to grill Gujarat’s controversial Chief Minister on many issues. When Modi said he wants to give Qur’an in one hand and computer on other hand to Muslims. Nobody asked him why he denied pre-matric scholarship to minority students since 2007.
Frankly and most humbly, I think BJP should never ever try to reach out of muslims…because muslims can never be amenable to reconciliation, as long as darul-ul-islam is not established.
BJP is best served by focusing its energy on uniting the rest of India.If they fail, BJP people should migrate to other country than trying to reach out to muslims..
Dear Abdul Bari Masoud, I have frank and blunt answers to all those questions you wanted to ask Modi…One line
Muslims and only muslims are responsible for their poor state…Muslims produce more kids and become poored over generations..This is sociology 101…There is no rational need for rest of Indians to feed children of those muslims from their own tax pocket, espc when muslims are not willing to acknowledge that the problem is them and they are not trying hard to check their birth rates.
what did you expect from a person like Shriman Siddiqui. All that is left is for him to show his khaki underwear.
U muslims r føol say the suffronisation of state .india is a land of hindu ,seffron .india is not islamic identity .india has hindu root and culture. And nobody can destroy them.everywhere whether it be institution,university or any place u will find many hindu symbol. That is our culture.india is a secular country just becouse muslims r living here .for hindus. It is a country of hindu and nothing else.
Kartikeya I’m amazed you belong to Bhopal which was ruled by Muslims till 1950 .The Bhopal state never displayed Islamic symbols because they knew a ruler has to appear fair and just before the people .Nobody objects to the display of Hindu symbols per se ;the minorities are only anxious about their basic rights .Muslims in M.P. vote for Shivraj because he has never said anything against the minorities and his welfare programs have reached the Muslims .Muslims have never protested against his attempts to introduce Hindu practices though we all know our constitution is secular .
Its people like Modi or Togadia who instigate communal riots through their hate speeches ,are involved in encounter killings ,use base language against their opponents…who label Muslims as Bangladeshis -these are the people who Muslims have issues with.
Kartikeya we can take two paths-either we can make India a Hindu country with minorities as second class citizens with an unstable future ;or we can make India strong and secular by bringing all Indians together and involve minorities in the nation building program
The real game of vote bank politics are doing by non other than BJP, because BJP always bats for Hindu related issues and they are least interested in Muslims issues and always oppose issue like reservation for muslims, construction of babri masjid and giving threat like common civil code and article 370.