Jamal Siddiqui, the national president of the BJP’s Minority Morcha, welcomed the Supreme Court’s interim stay on directives passed by the UP and Uttarakhand governments that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route must display names of owners. He, however, tells Rajesh Kumar Thakur that the measure was actually meant to ensure transparency and emphasised the importance of adherence to regulations during the religious pilgrimage. Excerpts:
What is your reaction to the SC’s interim order?
I welcome it, yet still defend the UP government. The government order that all shopkeepers of eateries along the Kanwar routes should display the names of owners on their shops was not against the interests or liberty of the Muslim community. However, the Congress and other Opposition parties have raised a controversy to create a rift between Hindu and Muslim communities for their vested political motives. Did any Muslim go to court against the order? Did any Muslim protest? The Opposition wants to create fear psychosis in the Muslim community.
These parties say the government’s move is against the Muslim community and is bound to create a sense of alienation among them.
The Muslim community has started looking through the hidden intention of the Congress or other parties, including the TMC. They are not into politics for the prosperity or welfare of the Muslims ever since the country got Independence. They wanted to create a controversy on the Kanwar Yatra in order to create doubts among Hindus about Muslims. The controversy is aimed at damaging the ‘Ganga-Jamuna tahzeeb.’ I appeal to Muslims to display their names at eateries put up along the Kanwar Yatra route. The UP directive is aimed at ensuring transparency and the sanctity of the yatra, which is a kind of ‘pavitra-anushthan’ (holy ritual) for which sanctity must be protected by all irrespective of caste or creed.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra went to the SC against the UP government order while some other MPs have termed it unconstitutional. Don’t you think they stand for the rights of Muslims?
Mahua Moitra’s move is clearly political. She cannot be the conscience-keeper of Muslims. As a Muslim, I know not a single member of my community opposed the directive. People like Mahua Moitra want to keep Muslims scared of the BJP. Muslims, as far as I know, have had no problem in displaying their names on eateries or shops.
How would react to the comments of Leader of Opposition in West Benghal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari that the party’s slogan of ‘sab ka sath, sab ka vikas’ should be replaced with ‘jo hamare sath, hum unke sath’ (those with us, we are with them)?
The party has already rejected Suvendu Adhikari’s argument. The BJP does not discriminate on the basis of religion or caste. ‘Sab ka saath’ is the essence of PM Narendra Modi’s vision for ‘Viksit-Bharat’. This is the soul of India and BJP’s politics.
PM’s ‘Nai-Manzil scheme is meant to uplift the minority youth. Over 1 lakh youth have been its beneficiaries and Rs 562.39 crore have been allotted to this scheme. The list of schemes launched for the welfare of minority communities during the NDA government is the longest.
As the BJP Minority Morcha chief, what will you do in support of the UP government’s directive despite the SC order?
We honour the SC’s interim order. But, as members of Minority Morcha, will go to Muzaffarnagar displaying our names and serve the Kanwariyas during the yatra, giving a message of social amity. After all, why should Muslims hide their names while running their small businesses?
The Opposition believes that Muslims and other minority communities dislike BJP…
This is 100% false. Had it been true, the BJP Minority Morcha could not have been able to make 22 lakh ‘Modi-Mitras’. We have also linked up with 14,000 sufis across the country.