Asifa Khan, one saree-clad BJP face on national television, was the first Muslim woman appointed in Gujarat BJP’s executive committee in September 2013. Before the current elevation, she was tasked with reaching out to Muslim leaders across the country and remove their misgivings on Modi and the BJP. She coordinated meetings of prominent Muslim leaders from Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad with Modi.
Asifa, teacher-turned-journalist from Bharuch, groomed in politics by Congress strongman Ahmed Patel has now become BJP’s most popular minority face.She gives full credit to Congress leader Ahmed Patel for her initiation into politics, but it was “insensitivity” of Congress leaders towards people’s problems that made her join the BJP.
The firebrand Asifa said, “I met a large number of poor Muslims in Bhuj, Surat, Bardoli, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad and they were disillusioned with the Congress because it has no leadership in the state and no vision for the Muslims,” .
She clarified on the debate over Modi refusing to don the skull cap,and said that it is a non-issue and but questions the Congress’s silence on the Sachar report and argued that ,“While the Congress takes Muslims support for granted, it totally neglects their problems. I saw no use of staying in such a party,” and blamed that Congress, “announces sops for Muslims but never gives it to them.”
Asifa Khan, first Muslim woman in Gujarat BJP’s executive committee
She assured the minorities and said,“There has been no communal disturbance in Gujarat in the last 10 years. I believe that Muslims in rest of India will benefit immensely, as will other communities,” .
Muslims, she says, will vote for the BJP because “like any other community they want development, education, business, peace and social security. At the end of the day this is what matters.” Asifa sees herself as a bridge between the community and government.
It was another story of how important the minority appeasement practice has taken root in Indian politics, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, leading the campaign of the AIDMK, intensified her attack on the BJP and specifically targeted its prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi. Her vigorous criticism is seen more of a tactical move to counter a possible Muslim consolidation behind the DMK in the election.
The attack on the BJP comes close on the heels of the decision of the Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamath, a key Muslim outfit, to break ties with the AIADMK for “failing to criticise” the party on the anti-minorities aspects in its election manifesto, such as those on the uniform civil code and construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. The outfit has decided to back the Congress in three constituencies and the DMK, which already has roped in the Indian Union Muslim League and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, in the rest, in a shot in the arm for the DMK.
INDIA HONEST predicts if the BJP target slogan " Good Days will come Soon, Modi Rule is Coming " materialises from fiction to reality, it will be the last time the so called secular parties will be able to play communal card among the communities .
This election has shown the nation, how deeply the communal dividing card is being played in election ? This people dividing practise is being played less or more by most of the parties including the new comer AAP as well, thus neglecting all other people centric issues to a corner dust bin .
IH hopes, if the opinion poll predictions are accepted and if Modi comes to power, then this may definitely get a chance to work to end this misconception against Modi, and hopefully accelerate the development vision, that has been missed seriously in the last decades.
Once development and growth objectives takes root in the Indian political arena, the fear and misconception among communities may soon evaporate,as both communities had been working jointly in every aspect of life and society, but it will be a big worry for those political leaders solely dependent on the communal and caste cards to win elections .