Putting an end to speculation, former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi on Friday joined the BJP with party chief Amit Shah welcoming her into the party fold. It was a different Ilmi that greeted mediapersons on Friday. She could be seen defending BJP on Gujarat riots, ghar wapsi and other controversial issues. Many even asked whether she was waiting for an affirmative from the BJP central leadership for a ticket. “I have repeatedly said I am not a ticket seeker. You don’t have to be an MP or an MLA to get work done. Party will respect my views. I am one of those idiotic politicians who don’t want a ticket,” she said. Asked about her break-up with the AAP, Shazia said, “I never had an aversion to politics, I chose that path. I worked in other areas and was given a ticket for R K Puram. There was no wave that time. I knew I would lose. It was a labour of love. They sabotaged my elections in R K Puram and Ghaziabad. I used to plead to Vibhav to speak to Arvind — the same Arvind with whom I used to be so close. I was very hurt. I am writing about my experience of contesting elections in R K Puram and Ghaziabad. It really put me off elections,” she said. On dharm wapsi, Ilmi called it a tribal issue. “I think it’s more of a tribal issue. I was in Kanpur. I have never been approached for such conversions. Possible forced conversions do not have a place at all. If people want to convert, the Constitution allows it. I really feel either we can talk about this or work towards development. I don’t support forced conversions. The minorities have been kept as political slaves,” she said. When asked about riots in the time of the BJP, Ilmi defended her new party. “ Why did no one ask why Sonia Gandhi never spoke against Imam Bukhari or Mulayam Singh against Azam Khan and the clerics? The two riots that are always talked about are the Gujarat and the anti-Sikh riots. In Trilokpuri, there was riots and the same AAP MLA has been fielded again,” Ilmi said.
