The Bharatiya Janata Party has claimed that the minorities in Gujarat have voted en-block in favour of Narendra Modi.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, BJP senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu said that the per capita income of Muslims in Gujarat was highest in the country, adding that this is a clear indication that the BJP government has ensured the economic growth of Muslims in Gujarat. He said that the results of the Assembly elections have proved that Muslims have made a positive change in their approach towards the BJP. He said that for the first time in the country, the Muslim community has tried to free itself from the clutches of Congress's vote-bank politics.
Venkaiah Naidu said that Gujarati Muslims have given a good message to other members of the community across the country, especially the Muslim youth. Furnishing statistics, he said that BJP has won 29 out of 38 seats in places which were dominated by minority community voters.
Referring to the recommendations of Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission and Sachar Committee, Venkaiah Naidu admitted that a majority of Muslims in the country were poor and needed special attention. However, he said that BJP wants the economic and educational growth of Muslims, but not on religious grounds. Indian Muslims should be treated on par with other countrymen and should not be isolated due to their religion.
The BJP leader also slammed the Congress party and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen for ignoring the development of Muslims in the Old City. He said that these parties have been enjoying power for the last several decades, but they have failed to take any positive measures for the development. He said that the conditions in Old City should be compared with any other Muslim dominated areas in Gujarat to understand the difference in approach by the BJP and the Congress-MIM combine.
Venkaiah Naidu said that BJP would replicate the Gujarat model across the country with regard to the development of the Muslim community. (INN)