New Delhi: With General elections coming next year, BJP is struggling to change the anti-Muslim perception it has built up during its reign with crimes against minorities including Muslim says a source.
Union Minister and People’s party Chief Ram Vilas Paswan says this perception believed by minority communities will have to be changed as it could affect the vote count in next year’s General elections.
In an interview at his house, Paswan says, “Whatever the government is doing it is doing for everyone; even for the minority community it has done a lot.”
“But despite everything, the perception is not changing among the minorities and the scheduled castes (socially backward classes) irrespective of the work being done.”
According to recent census data collected Muslims in Indian constitute to 14 percent of the total 1.3 billion India’s population while Hindus constitute about 80 percent of the total population. Socially backward classes only make up to three-quarters of the Hindu population.
Many critics have noted BJP’s Hindutva agenda over the past few years have communalized the population more than ever with several Muslim killings reported from across the country by extremists Hindutva groups or the Cow vigilantes.
Referring to it Paswan says this the opposition could definitely take advantage of this perception in people’s mind and that BJP should strategize against the opposition to keep its power.
“We need to be cognizant of the fact that opposition parties have been raising a bogey of non-issues, but so far they’ve failed,” said BJP spokesman G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, Zee News reports.
So far BJP took over 21 states in India and is currently reigning leaving only 7 states but two parties that have walked out on BJP ending their allies might affect the party and the recent defeat in Lok Sabha by-elections for Gorakhpur and Phulpur, BJP sure has to look out for the next year’s General Elections.
Speaking of support in Bihar, Paswan says ending ties with BJP was “unthinkable” and that “can’t even think of leaving the NDA. No one has approached me and I am happy where I am.”
Paswan enjoys considerable support from the Muslim community in Bihar.
“This is essentially a government of the BJP, they have an absolute majority. Still, Modi has given space to allies like us,” said Paswan.