Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah escaped the dart thrown at him in an interview when he was asked why the Bharatiya Janata Party has never fielded a Muslim candidate so far.
Speaking to the Indian Express, in an interview, Shah was asked about the party’s slogan Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas, and was questioned as to why the ruling BJP always fails to announce a Muslim candidate in all its elections.
The BJP leader replied that the slogan was not political but a policy of the government. “It fails if a Muslim family, which deserves to get free ration, does not get it; if it does not get a free gas connection, if it does not get a house under Awas Yojana despite being eligible for it. Or, when a Hindu residential locality gets electricity connection and the Muslim family does not get it. If this happens, the slogan becomes hollow,” he said.
In an attempt to duck further questions over the same, Shah asked The Indian Express to investigate his statement, as he confidently claimed that they would find the truth. “The Indian Express team is good at investigating, you do a search of the entire Uttar Pradesh, you will find that these schemes are implemented without differentiating against anyone on the lines of caste or religion,” he added.
Reiterating to a question that representation in the legislator is significant too, Shah alleged that the media creates a wedge between the minorities and the party which must be reduced. “Our ticket distribution is on the basis of winnability. If the media creates a wedge between the minorities and BJP, and as it intensifies, there will not be any candidate who can win. We do hope that this gap ends,” said Shah.
When a question was raised over the BJP being unable to field a Muslim candidate, although being India’s largest party, he retorted back saying, ”You are wrong. We had won 325 seats (in UP, in 2017), still, we made a Muslim an MLC and made him a minister…That’s why I say that when media reduces the gap, it will end.”
Currently, Uttar Pradesh is in its fifth phase of the Legislative Assembly polls, the results of which will be announced on March 10.
The fifth phase of polling saw a voter turnout of 52.32 percent. In the sixth phase, polling will be held in 57 assembly seats in ten districts on March 3.
Speaking about the opposition, Shah said that it is because of the Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre that the third wave was not a serious threat. “Had Akhilesh Yadav led Samajwadi party regime been here in Uttar Pradesh, people would have seen a tough time in the third wave of COVID-19. Opposition misled the public due to their vested interests! Opposition parties created COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy,” he alleged.
When asked about the raging Hijab controversy in Karnataka, after the state passed a diktat preventing Muslims from wearing hijabs, Shah while refuting the claims, refused to give appropriate comments, over the issue. “We have not issued any order. The Karnataka government is implementing the High Court order,” he claimed.
