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Updated: Feb 25, 2014 11:41 IST

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Monday reached out to Muslim intelligentsia and discussed issues related their community.



During an interaction at the India Islamic Centre with its members, Kejriwal said communalism was a bigger issue than corruption. On being asked why he chose not to fight against Narendra Modi, the Bhartiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate in the Lok Sabha election, he said: “Let him (Modi) first declare if he is going to contest the Lok Sabha polls and from where, only then our party will take a call on it.”

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Kejriwal also said the party had found a strong candidate in Kumar Vishwas to fight Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.

He also promised to field as many Muslim candidates as possible to increase the representation of the community. He said the AAP, if elected, would take up the issue of Section 341 of the IPC for compensating riot victims. Section 341 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) — Punishment for wrongful restrain — is an oft-debated topic in connection with alleged wrongful detention of Muslim youth as terror suspects.

“Our members wanted to interact with Kejriwal and know about the party’s policies and in general what can be the party’s commitment for the community,” said Sirajuddin Qureshi, president of the India Islamic Centre.

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Qureshi’s invitation to Kejriwal was originally made when the latter was still the Delhi chief minister but the meeting was held as scheduled even when the AAP government had resigned 10 days ago.

An unidentified man questioned Kejriwal over the issue of donation collection by the AAP, leading to temporary disruption.

Ashutosh, AAP’s spokesperson and the party’s candidate designate for the Chandni Chowk seat was also present on the occasion.