The BJP is confident of winning the confidence and the votes of minorities in the upcoming elections in Delhi. It feels that the distance between the majority and minority communities in the country has reduced and a dialogue between them has increased.

New Delhi: The BJP is confident of winning the confidence and the votes of minorities in the upcoming elections in Delhi. It feels that the distance between the majority and minority communities in the country has reduced and a dialogue between them has increased as a result of the new dispensation at the Centre, which talks about ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (together with all, development for all).

Addressing a meeting of Delhi BJP Morcha on Thursday, party chief Satish Upadhyay said, “We (Hindus and Muslims) are brothers and we should respect each other’s religion and culture.”

Remembering Sikandar Bakht, the founder member of the BJP, he said that if BJP has come to power with full majority the contribution of the Muslim community is important. "Muslims will get their due share if they discharge their duties properly,” he said indirectly asking the community to vote in favour of the saffron party.

Accusing the Congress of creating a "phobia of the BJP", he alleged, "Congress always created a fear psychosis among Muslims so that they cannot talk about social and economic marginalisation, educational backwardness and the absence of political empowerment. We are committed to inclusive growth. We do not practice the politics of appeasement; rather we talk about the growth of the country which will benefit all sections of the society." However, Upadhyay remained noncommittal on whether the BJP plans to give more tickets to Muslims, given its emphasis on "political empowerment" of the community.

With an aim to reach out to the minority community, the BJP has decided to launch an aggressive campaign in 20 Muslim majority constituencies and has also launched seven-day membership drive starting from Friday.

Party workers have been asked to distribute handbills and membership forms outside mosques and churches after prayers on Friday and Sunday respectively. Each member of the party has been asked to make at least 100 members everyday for a week.

"We want to bring minorities, especially Muslims, in the mainstream of the society and therefore, we have launched the membership campaign. We have fixed a target of enrolling one lakh members. So far, we have roughly added 34,000 new members and we expect to cross our target in the stipulated time,” head of BJP's Minority Morcha Atif Rasheed told Firstpost adding that "political and educational empowerment, not appeasement, is the solution of the problems faced by Muslims".

“...it is easier for a Muslim to become the President the country than to become a Panchayat member. Political empowerment of the community is urgently needed…Our youth want job opportunities, access to education and equal opportunities in every sector. They are no longer interested in the debate of communalism and secularism,” he said.

Appreciating the membership campaign by the Delhi BJP Minority Morcha, Upadhyay said the target fixed by this Morcha is an inspiration for the whole party and due to this the number of members in Delhi has touched 11.34 lakh. He said that this achievement must be providing peace and satisfaction to the souls of leaders like late Sikandar Bakht, Begam Khurshida Kidwai and Imdad Sabree.

Agreeing with the BJP chief’s claim that the gap the between majority and minority in the country has been bridged to an extent, Firoz Bakht Ahmad, a social worker and grandson of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, said, "So far, the BJP government has not done anything against the community. It further needs to take steps for confidence building. It needs to seriously work for the educational, economic and social empowerments of the community. At the same time, the party should tighten the noose around hate mongers like Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.

"First, BJP should take strong steps for the development of the community, then only it can expect Muslim votes in its favour. A series of recent communal unrests in the city is extremely disturbing and the incumbent government should not let the culprits go free," he said.

For young Sajida Khan, who is pursuing masters in public administration from Jamia Millia Islamia, PM Modi is an "icon of development" and he is "working for the people of the country, not for a particular section of the society". "I have joined the BJP because I can have the right to ask the party to give us equal opportunities," she told Firstpost.

28-year-old Amir Abdullah, a voter of Okhla constituency, said, “Since we have BJP government in the Centre, we should give a chance to the party in Delhi as well. We should come out of secularism and communalism binary and vote for the betterment of the country.”

When asked why the party did not give tickets to Muslims as per their population, Hafiz Mohammad Sabreen from Turakman Gate said, “Muslims have lost their right to ask for tickets. The community did not support the Muslim candidates fielded by the party in the Lok Sabha elections.”