Author: Arvind Singh
Publication: Hindu Vivek Kendra
Date: February 27, 2002
On 18 February, Prime Minister AB
Vajpayee said that even without Muslims voting for his party, it can form
the government in UP. He criticized opposition parties which had appealed
to Muslims not to vote for the BJP. Addressing a rally, he said that his
party had not done anything discriminatory against the minority community.
He lamented that it was not appropriate
for Muslims to take anti-BJP stand. However, he went on to add that BJP
would win the elections even if Muslims vote against it.
Apparently the statement is plain
and commonplace. It is empirically established that Muslims in India hardly
vote for parties which talk of Hindu interests. Similarly, it is also empirically
established that Muslims vote for parties which talk of enhancing Muslims
interests. The BJP's predecessor the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, for instance,
had talked about banning cow slaughter and enacting a uniform civil code
to which Muslims abhorred. The BJP stuck to the old agenda of BJS. Likewise
Muslims continued to abhor the BJP.
Hence the impression that after
December 6, 1992 Muslims turned their back to BJP is preposterous. What
PM said, therefore, is a historical truth and he has merely reiterated
it. The statement will distress those who have allergy to the truth. However,
the PM was mordantly denounced.
"By making such a statement, the
Prime Minister is indirectly pandering to the communal instincts of the
other community. This tactic cannot be permitted to be adopted by Prime
Minister of the largest democracy in the world," the Congress Party spokesman
Jaipal Reddy said.
Samajwadi Party, which is supposed
to be the largest beneficiary of Muslim votes in the ongoing elections,
demanded PM's head. In a letter faxed to President K R Narayanan, Mulayam
Singh Yadav said the Prime Minister's remarks were intended to divide the
country. "By making such a statement publicly, he violated the model code
of conduct," alleged Mr. Yadav.
Former Prime Minister VP Singh said
Mr. Vajpayee's remark was in "bad taste" and "unbecoming" of the head of
the government. Mr. Singh, who is seeking to play a bigger role in Indian
politics, castigated that Mr. Vajpayee appears to have forgotten that he
is not just a political leader, but also the Prime Minister of the country.
On 2 February the Imam of Jama Masjid, Delhi, appealed Muslims not to vote
in the assembly elections. He said that all political parties are inimical
to minority interests. Whereas the All India Milli Council exhorted Muslims
of UP to actively participate in the elections to defeat BJP. The council
is reported to have organized a survey of constituencies where Muslims
are in position to influence election results. The council learnt, thanks
to the survey, that approximately in 150 to 200 constituencies Muslim accounts
for 25 to 30 per cent of the voters. In the last assembly elections, in
115 seats the margin of victory or defeat was less than 10,000. While the
BJP had won 44 of these seats in the last election, the rest of these went
to SP, BSP and Congress.
The survey "criteria" was - No support
to communal forces; no support to ally of communal forces and support to
secular-minded candidates who could provide a clean government. Accordingly,
the council has released a list of 92 constituencies which went to poll
in the first phase of elections in UP directing Muslims to support only
those candidates who are in a position to defeat BJP nominees.
The council, in tune with its policy,
has urged Muslims to support the Samajwadi Party on 48 seats, BSP on 21,
Congress on 11, CPI-M in Najeebabad and Indian Ekta Dal in Nukur assembly
segment.
This clear "direction" given to
Muslims by the Milli Council has gone unscathed, however. But the PM's
statement has caused a huge political reverberation. In fact, what the
PM has said was not new but the Council repeatedly told to Muslim voters.
If there is any differences exist that is only of angle in which both the
positions are looked into. The Milli Council said that Muslims should not
vote for the BJP while the latter said it did not want Muslims vote.
We must ponder a while why Muslims
often took anti-BJP stance. Many Hindus are really upset that the BJP which
once protested Haj subsidy is now increasing it. Many Hindus are really
upset that BJP leadership which once lambasted Iftar parties are now seen
prostrating to Muslims to eat their Iftar food.
The PM's statement came as a fresh
air. It perhaps stems from the realization that Muslims would not vote
for the BJP in any circumstances. The same was explained to BJP leadership
by its sympathizers time and again but in vain. One hope this controversy
would serve an eye opener to the BJP.
