As the election in Varanasi inches closer, the Sangh Parivar has stepped up its attempts to ensure victory for Narendra Modi

As the election in Varanasi inches closer, the Sangh Parivar has stepped up its attempts to ensure victory for the BJP candidate Narendra Modi.

The controversial RSS leader Indresh Kumar is in Varanasi and is reaching out to the Muslim community, asking them to vote for Mr. Modi. In the last two days, Mr. Kumar has addressed several such meetings, organised by Muslim organisations affiliated to the RSS.

One such organisation, the Bharatiya Awam Party, has already organised 10 meetings with Muslim women. In one such meeting in Varanasi city, Mr. Kumar spoke to a group of women, telling them that they had been misled by parties such as the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

“They come, they misguide you, take your vote and only contribute to your misfortune,” he told them. He went on to say that the time had come for them to vote for Mr. Modi. “He is the only leader who will ensure that your children will have the Koran in one hand and a computer in the other,” he said.

Mr. Kumar then asked the women to defy their husbands on the day of voting and cast their ballot for Mr. Modi.

“You will be accompanied by an elder or your husband. Ask him: ‘you got me voting for the hand, the cycle or the elephant. But, has our ‘ taqdeer’ (fate) changed?’ Maybe, he’ll look at you angrily, fix his angry gaze on you … but what is there to fear?” he told them.

Speaking to The Hindu on the phone, Mr. Kumar claimed that many Muslims were opening up to Mr. Modi because nobody else talked about their welfare.

“If they [the Muslims] were wary of Modi ji, why would they come to listen to me? The RSS is not organising these meetings, the Muslim community is,” he said.

Reacting to the remarks of Mr. Modi’s close aide Amit Shah on Azamgarh [of it being a terrorist base], Mr. Kumar said the Union Home Ministry had said the same in different words, but only Mr. Shah had the courage to say it “as it is.”

“Unlike secular parties, Amit Shah does not worry about vote-bank politics,” he said.