Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind general secretary Mahmood Madani speaks about vote bank politics, polarisation, BJP and Narendra Modi with The New Indian Express Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla during Teekhi Baat on IBN7. Excerpts:
Why are you after Mulayam Singh? The video being shown contains faces of people from all parties.
It is his government. It’s the government’s responsibility to not do any thing irresponsible, nor allow anybody to do the things that happened there. For months together, the situation there was worsening, small incidents kept on happening. No efforts were made to stop them.
Who was responsible for it?
Some people say that the party in power is creating such conditions with an eye on elections in 2014.
Muslims are annoyed. How will they benefit?
They wouldn’t have presumed that things would come to such a pass and spread wide. Be it creating divisions and dividing people, the third party shouldn’t get the benefit, but the first two parties should—this must have been their intention.
Muzzafarnagar is a sample, a trailer of vote bank politics.
This is certainly true. One is committing a crime against the country, is a traitor if one does vote bank politics.
You are associated with Ajit Singh’s party. Is this the reason you are attacking Mulayam? A Congress MP is seen speaking in the video.
He should be behind bars. I say that the Congress cannot be forgiven. Action has not been taken against him.
People will say that by your anti-Mulayam stance, you are supporting BJP.
One must not forget that the state government is not speaking the truth as both are hand in glove.
What should BJP do for the Muslims to accept the party?
The BJP should talk about justice.
Gujarat’s Muslims have accepted Modi.
Some have accepted—17 percent. But 83 per cent didn’t. If BJP takes a stand which makes it easier for Muslims to accept it, many issues will be solved.
Modi is face of BJP. Will Muslims accept them?
It is BJP’s internal matter. Will the country accept him? BJP will not get any benefit from him. No party will benefit why via polarisation. In the past they have. They won’t be able to do it in the future. I am speaking this about all parties.