BJP reaches out to Muslims

Party’s 31-member minority cell has 28 workers from community

The newly announced state minority cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is dominated by Muslims as of the 31 party workers, 28 belong to the Muslim community.

While only three members are from other minority communities, the BJP insisted the party was keen to give equal representation to all.

Jamal Siddiqui, the new president of the minority cell, said other communities preferred to be part of the mainstream organisation rather than the minority cell.

BJP state president Raosaheb Danve recently announced the state committee of the party’s minority wing.

Before being appointed as the president of the minority cell, Nagpur-based party worker Mr Siddiqui was BJP’s state secretary.

Haji Muhammad Ejaz Deshmukh (Beed), Muhammad Sikandar Shaikh (Mumbai) and Imran Mujawar (Pune) are the general secretaries of the wing. There are 10 vice-presidents, 14 secretaries, and a treasurer, office in-charge and media in-charge.

Munna Bandu Kurane (Sangli), Sumant Lala (Nagpur) and Rakesh Jain (Dombivali) are the only non-Muslim members of the cell.

“Jain and Sikh party workers feel they will get more opportunities for development by being part of the mainstream organisation (BJP), instead of being limited to the minority cell,” said Mr Siddiqui. However, he added that he planned to give representation to them during the expansion of the committee.

“I spoke to party legislator Sardar Tara Singh and he appreciated the suggestion. We are focused on promoting workers from Sikh, Jain and other minority communities at the grassroots level,” he said.

BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who is from the Jain community, refused to speak on the issue.

Mr Singh said he wanted party workers from the Sikh community to join the minority cell to sort out their issues.

Vijay alias Bhai Girkar, BJP’s member of state legislative council, too was of the same opinion.