Imams' body not averse to giving a chance to BJP

All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques says it is not averse to giving a chance to the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP's efforts to reach out to the minority Muslim community seem to have begun paying off with All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques (AIOOIM), an important organisation of the Muslim community claiming over 3.5 lakh members across the country, saying it was not averse to giving a chance to the party in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

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Without naming Congress, AIOOIM president Moulana Jameel Ahmed Ilyasi told reporters, the party which claimed itself to be the champion of secularism could not provide the Muslim community what was rightfully due to it during 45 years of its rule.

"We saw many parties after independence but none genuinely cared for our welfare. There is no harm in giving BJP a chance this time," he said.

When told that the BJP was alleged to be a communal party which worked for the cause of the majority Hindu community, he said: "we will not allow BJP to deviate from the principles of secularism.

"India is a secular country and no political party in this country can survive without following the principles of secularism," Ilyasi added.

Maulana Qari Alhaj Hifzur Rahman Meerati, vice president of Kul-Hind Tanzeem-ul-Masajeed was more forthcoming saying "we are going to support BJP in the coming parliamentary polls. There are no two opinions about this".

Meerati, also a member of Haj Corporation of India, said there was no doubt that the BJP was blamed for the recent communal riots in Gujarat, "but what about 30,000 odd incidents of communal riots which took place under the Congress regime. Who will answer for that?" he asked.

Meerati was full of praise for BJP leader and union minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain .