Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma Saturday accused the opposition parties of trying to create fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the minorities to garner their votes and using the Muslims as their vote bank.

Attacking the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress, Sharma, while addressing an election campaign here, said, "The opposition tells the minorities that the BJP will harm them if it comes to power again, which is not correct."



"The BJP and the prime minister follow the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (together with all, development for all)," the deputy CM said, adding that all schemes of the government is for every citizen without any discrimination.

He further accused the SP, BSP and Congress of using the Muslims as their vote bank and not working for their welfare.

"The SP, BSP and Congress have used the Muslim voters as their vote bank and none of them has ever done anything to educate them. These parties deliberately did this so as to hamper the upliftment of the community and continue to use them as their vote bank," Sharma said.

"The BJP is of the view that in one hand Muslims have the holy book Quran, while their second hand should be on a computer. People of the community should also reach higher posts for which educational qualification is necessary," he added.

The Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency goes to polls in the fifth phase of the elections on May 6.

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh is seeking re-election for the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)