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Journalism of Courage
AMIDST the preparations for the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya, the BJP will set off on another programme in Uttar Pradesh, aimed at Muslim women.
Starting January 12, the BJP will hold events across the state to reach out to Muslim women beneficiaries of Central government schemes, led by top leaders such as Deputy Chief Ministers Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya, and bunched under the slogans ‘Shukriya Modi bhaijaan (Thanks Brother Modi)’ and ‘Na doori hai na khai hai, Modi humara bhai hai‘ (There is no distance between us, nor any wedge, Modi is our brother)’.
The BJP plans to cover all 75 districts of the state, and call on around 1,000 Muslim women beneficiaries per district. At the events, the women beneficiaries will be invited to the stage to share their experience on how the schemes had changed their lives.
BJP minority wing president Kunwar Basit Ali said they are looking at schemes such as Ujjwala, PM Awas Yojana, building of toilets under Swachh Bharat, and Ayushman Bharat. “Our intention is to make sure that they know that the schemes became possible because of the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So many women in UP have benefited. A huge section of women were forced to go to the fields to defecate, cooked on firewood, never owned a house. With these schemes, these women have been uplifted,” Ali told The Indian Express.
Ali added that the events to be held under the programme would be concentrated in districts with large Muslim populations, such as Bareilly, Rampur, Muzaffaranagar, Moradabad, Aligarh and Meerut. “We want to know their stories and make them aware that this government is unbiased and works for all communities,” he said.
BJP leaders estimate that Muslim women make up nearly 7-8% of UP’s population, and getting them on its side can be a big plus for the party. “Past governments have completely ignored Muslim women and their issues because they wanted to focus on Muslim men as their vote bank, but the BJP believes that women are as important as men, and hence we have special schemes, programmes for women,” said a BJP leader.
Another leader said: “During the programmes, we will show speeches of Modi concerning gender and focus on women. We want to establish apnaapan (familiarity) between the PM and Muslim women. Many women who benefit from these schemes don’t know who helped them. So, we want to ensure that Muslim women know that there is a special focus of the BJP government on them.”
The BJP’s push to woo Muslim women has been consistent for a while now, even as the minority community has kept its distance from the party. The BJP has also been claiming that Muslim women vote for the party in increasing numbers.
The law banning instant triple talaq is one measure that the Modi government sees as a huge success. In September 2019, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had met around 300 women divorced by their husbands through this route, and made several announcements for their welfare.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Samajwadi Party, which banks on the Muslim vote, “for ignoring the pain and suffering of Muslim daughters”.
BJP leaders in UP accuse the Opposition of spreading the “misconception” that Muslims don’t vote for the party, while sweeping aside questions regarding the party not fielding any Muslim candidates.
“The Opposition parties claim this because they want to keep the Muslim votes for themselves. But, over the last few years, the number of Muslim women participating in BJP programmes has been rising. And this is a direct result of the benefits they get from government schemes, and the improving law and order situation,” a Muslim leader belonging to the UP BJP said.
