BJP minority morcha chief says 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' PM Modi's guarantee

New Delhi: 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas' is a guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has often expressed concerns about the backwardness of pasmanda Muslims, BJP's minority morcha chief Jamal Siddiqui said Saturday, dismissing West Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari's contention that the party should dump the slogan and shut its wing for minorities.

Siddiqui said Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal who made the angry remarks at a party meeting over its subpar showing in the state in the Lok Sabha polls, is relatively new to the BJP and will take time to appreciate its guiding philosophy of 'antyodaya', coined by party ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay.  Modi has taken the idea forward, Siddiqui said. "'Sabka saath, sabka vikas' (inclusive development) is a guarantee of the prime minister," he added.

Speaking to PTI, Siddiqui also backed the Uttar Pradesh government's directive to all owners of eateries and carts selling eatables on the route of kanwarias to display their names. He slammed the opposition's criticism of the move.  Reacting to Adhikari's comments, he said BJP's minority morcha is a key component of the party's outreach to the most deprived sections of society, recalling Modi's concerns about a lack of development of pasmanda Muslims, a reference to the backward sections of the minority community.  They have been exploited by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for their vote bank politics, he said.

As the soul is to body, so is the ideology of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' to the BJP, he said.

After his remarks sparked a row, Adhikari claimed his comments were misinterpreted and expressed his support to Modi's call for 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'.

Acknowledging that minorities might not have voted for the BJP in significant numbers during the polls, Siddiqui said, Modi has often spoken about working for those who voted for him as well as those who did not.

"As a political party the BJP's goal is not to gain power for the sake of it but to serve everyone," the BJP's minority morcha chief said.

He, however, unequivocally endorsed the Uttar Pradesh government's controversial directive.

He said it was observed in past that some people change their names to do business or even cause trouble, and this at times hurts the sentiments of Hindu pilgrims who follow religiously sanctioned diet during the yatra.

The directive is for people of every faith and in no way prevents Muslims from doing their business, he said, adding that a large number of them are involved in business activities during the yatra.  He said he had been setting up health facilities for pilgrims and has never faced any issue.

"I go there as Jamal Siddiqui. If one does not have any bad intention, then why Jamal should present himself as Jairam," he asked, alleging that opposition parties at times send their supporter under fake identity to create trouble.

The opposition's criticism of the UP government's directive is due to their vote bank politics and is an attempt to malign the country globally when Modi is doing everything to boost the country's international profile, he said.