Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday accused the rivals of the BJP of keeping the Muslims in the state backward and promised that his party will "serve" the Pasmanda Muslims by becoming their watchman.
At a program organized by the BJP's minority wing to facilitate the members of the Pasmanda community, he said,
"You strengthened the Samajwadi Party, sometimes the BSP, and sometimes the Congress by voting for them. They reached high levels of politics with your cooperation. You should think about what these parties did for you."
"These parties spread poison to keep Muslims away from the BJP. Other parties deliberately left the Pasmanda community behind. When it comes to voting, someone will take your votes by making hateful statements and then leave you to your plight. But we (BJP) will truly serve you by becoming your watchman."
Maurya told the member of the Pasmanda Muslim community, "You have trusted them, just trust the BJP for once. The mainstream of the country's politics is the BJP only. Those who have only used Pasmanda Muslims till now should be taught a lesson."
In the coming days, programs will be held in every city area for Pasmanda Muslims, he said.
Minority welfare minister Danish Azad Ansari said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have worked for the social and educational upliftment of Muslims and will continue to do so.
Pasmandas are backward classes of Muslims and constitute 85 percent of the total population in Uttar Pradesh.
41 castes of Muslims in this community include Qureshi, Ansari, Salmani, Shah, Mansoori, and Siddiqui.
The BJP is organizing Pasmanda conferences as part of its efforts to bring this large section of Muslims into its fold. The party has announced that it will also give tickets to Muslims in the upcoming municipal elections.
(Inputs from PTI)
