New Delhi, Jul 14: BJP on Friday accused its opponents of attempting to dub it as an “anti-Muslim” and “anti-minority” in order to indulge in vote-bank politics.
“BJP is said to be an anti-minority party. This is 100 per cent wrong...There is an attempt to present us as a villain, by our opponents. Because their focus is on the vote bank of minorities and until they establish that BJP is anti-Muslim, anti-minority, their votes won't come,” said BJP president Nitin Gadkari while inaugurating a two-day workshop on “Minority welfare through good governance” here today.
Gadkari said while riots had taken place in many parts of the country, yet the 2002 Gujarat riots were most publicised.
“Riots did not happen only in Gujarat, they happened more in Maharashtra when there were Congress chief ministers. While a total of 650 encounters took place across the country, yet the inquiries initiated in 19 such encounters in Gujarat were most talked about. A total of 270 encounters took place in Uttar Pradesh but no one is inquiring into that,” Gadkari said.
He said today in Goa 9 out of 40 MLAs the party has were Catholic Christians and claimed its minority workers were doing a good job across the country.
Gadkari also appealed to all members of Haj committees, Waqf boards, Madarasa boards, and Minority Financial Corporations in all BJP and NDA-ruled states to deliver good governance and thereby win the hearts of the minority communities.
About 100 delegates participated in the workshop, the first of its kind in recent past. The delegates included members of Christian community as well.
