HVK Archives: No joining the BJP
No joining the BJP - The Pioneer
Khursheed Ahmed
()
7 August 1996
Title : No joining the BJP
Author : Khursheed Ahmed
Publication : The Pioneer
Date : August 7, 1996
Sir-This is apropos of Mr Ramesh Diwan's letter, 'A
charter of duties' (The Pioneer, July 30), in response to
Syed Shahabuddin's letter, 'Is BJP a picnic spot?' (July
24), which in turn was a rejoinder to Mr Diwan's earlier
letter, 'Muslims should join the BJP' (July 17).
Mr Diwan has said that a majority of Indians do not
consider the BJP communal. Whatever Mr Diwan may say in
defence of the BJP, the fact remains that the raison
d'etre of the BJP is anti-Muslim tirade. It is the
diatribe of its leaders against the Muslims that is
applauded by a section of the Hindus.
In the agenda of the BJP, the top priority is given to
scrapping Article 370, temple construction, ban on cow
slaughter, common civil code and Hindu Rashtra. Is this
not enough to communalise the atmosphere for political
gains? Do the BJP leaders not denigrate Mahatma Gandhi?
Do the BJP leaders have any record of making an effort to
establish Hindu-Muslim amity? Have the BJP leaders
earned any distinction in post-independence India so far
as "unity diversity" as enshrined in the Constitution is
concerned, except mobilising Hindu opinion to bring them
to their fold?
The crux of the matter is that even after 50 years of
Independence, Hindus and Muslims have not been made to
reconcile, to live in peace and amity., This is entirely
because of the negative attitude of the leaders who claim
to be nationalists and custodians of the Hindus. If the
BJP did not have a sectarian vie , it would have faced no
difficulty in coming to power, at least with a simple
majority.
Even though the BJP has emerged as the largest single
party at the hustings, it has not yet attained an all-
India stature, as the party miserably failed to open its
account in many states. No party can rule India by
marginalising the Muslim community. Instead of advising
the Muslims to join the BJP, Mr Diwan should ask BJP and
its allies to shun politics of confrontation.
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