New Delhi: Muslims are also contributing to the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as Lord Ram belongs to all, BJP’s minority cell national president Haji Jamal Siddiqui has said.
Siddiqui said Lord Ram is an ideal for the entire country and that Urdu poet Allama Iqbal had termed him “Imam-e-Hind” (the prelate of India).
“The fact that Ram Mandir is being constructed is a matter of honour and pride for the country as Lord Ram doesn’t belong to Hindus only but the entire country. He is the ideal for the entire country. Iqbal Sahab ne unhein Imam-e-Hind ka darza diya hai (Iqbal has termed him the prelate of India),” he told ThePrint in an interview Monday.
Representation of Muslims in electorate politics
Siddiqui said that he will work towards increasing the number of Muslim candidates in electoral politics. “My mandate is to work keeping elections in mind and prepare Muslim people as potential candidates. The organisation is being strengthened, but at the same time we need to increase the representation of Muslims in politics too,” he added.
Citing West Bengal’s example, he said booth-level committees have been formed in the state for this. “There are at least 45 seats which are Muslim-dominated and we have already started working in the state … we hope some of the candidates we suggest will get an opportunity,” he added.
He further said that to achieve this, the party’s minority cell will also have to reach out to the voters not just as BJP workers but also as a representative of the Muslim community. “We are not just BJP workers but representative of the Muslim community too. We need to focus on this identity too. We are the Muslim representatives of the BJP and we need to highlight that. This would help the Muslim community in connecting with us,” he said.
To achieve this, Siddiqui said, some strict steps might have to be taken, including “going against some senior leaders” who make offensive comments.
“For this we might have to sometimes take strict action too. For instance, sometimes we might have to go against our leaders who make offensive comments. These leaders are actually against the ideology of the BJP as BJP believes in serving everyone: sabka saath, sabka vishwas,” he added.
He said under the Modi government, welfare schemes for the progress of Muslims have been implemented. “This temple which is being built, it is especially a matter of happiness for all. The decision of the court has come, everyone has agreed. I feel happy in saying that on a large scale, many Muslims have also started donating. Whoever the Nirman Samiti (for Ram Mandir donation drive) approached for donation, I’m sure not a single Muslim person would have said no. This is not a new thing but an old tradition.
“I think this is a new step where the difference between the Muslims and Hindu is getting cleared and this Mandir issue has been resolved. Under PM Modi, politics of development has begun and it will benefit Muslims the most,” he said.
Also read: Ram Mandir donation drive volunteers in MP were given dos & don’ts list, but they flouted it
Firstly, Allama Iqbal must never be quoted in the Indian context. He is the chief architect of the idea of Pakistan. It was his devilish mind which seeded the idea of Pakistan in the mind of MA Jinnah. His championing of Shri Ram at some point of time or composing songs like “Saare Jahan Se Achha” hardly means anything at all.
The sooner we stop eulogizing him, the better off we will be.
As far as Indian Muslims are concerned, the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharat are a part of their heritage and culture too. they may have converted to a different religion but it does not take anything away from their shared heritage and culture. Its only expected that they too would participate in the building of the temple.
False news
What option do they have to prove their nationalistic credentials other than contributing to this cause?
It remains to be seen which of our Hindutva heroes donate to the Ayodhya mosque.