Kerala BJP set for Muslim outreach to clear ‘misunderstandings’

Chandrasekhar, who has been pushing the BJP’s developmental agenda ever since assuming charge of the party in Kerala, said the outreach programme will cover all Muslim homes in the state. “We don’t want to fool the people as the Congress and the CPI(M) have been doing. The BJP wants to debunk the lies built up by the Left and the UDF over the last two decades,” he said.

BJP state vice-president and prominent Muslim face in the party, Dr Abdul Salam, said the welfare programmes being implemented by the Modi government at the Centre would be highlighted during the outreach.

The BJP is desperately trying to improve its footprint in electoral politics in Kerala, and had earlier conducted Christian outreach programmes. As part of the Christian outreach, BJP leaders and workers had gone to the Christian prelates and houses of prominent community members with greetings and cakes during Christmas and Easter.

The BJP has also tried to find a common ground with Christians on issues like “love jihad” and Waqf land disputes. In the Munambam Waqf land issue, the BJP has been in the forefront, fighting for the revenue rights of land owners, who were mostly Christians.

As per the 2011 Census, Muslims make up 26.56% of Kerala’s 3.34 crore population. Christians make up 18.38% of the population of the state.