After Rajnath, Uma & Naqvi's remarks on more Muslim tickets, BJP gets busy in damage control

Gorakhpur | Varanasi: The Bhartiya Janta Party is tying itself up in knots over the issue of not giving a single ticket to the Muslims in the Uttar Pradesh elections. " Humne kisi (muslim) ko ticket nahi diya kyunki hamare koi aisa karyakarta jeetne layak nahi tha. Hum ladane ke liye nahin, jeetane ki liye ticket dete hain (There was no Muslim candidate in BJP who was capable of winning a seat. Winnability is the only criterion in BJP. We do not give tickets to people just for the sake of fighting)," BJP state president Keshav Prasad Maurya said in Varanasi on Monday, when asked on reported comments of Rajnath Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Uma Bharti that Muslims should have been given tickets.

"I would in turn like to ask the BSP and SP how many tickets of Dalits and Yadavs they have cut respectively," Maurya added.

People should not judge the BJP for not giving tickets to people in the community as the party-led government ensured more progress for Muslims than those who believe in minority appeasement alone, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told ET on Monday.

He was earlier quoted by agencies saying it would have been better if the party had given tickets to Muslims. Home minister Rajnath Singh and Uma Bharti reportedly also made similar statements lately, saying Muslims should have been given tickets.

"There are parties that have given about 100 tickets to Muslims in UP this time. Have they ever done anything to uplift the community otherwise?" Naqvi told ET.

Naqvi however said he doesn't contradict comments made by top party leaders that the party could have given tickets to Muslims.

"BJP has done more vikaas for Muslims than the parties that believe in only symbolism such as giving tickets. For the past 70 years, certain parties have only been stereotyping Muslims like this. They think their job is over once a few tickets are given to the community. We believe in empowerment not appeasement," Naqvi told ET.

He said the BJP believes in taking along all the sections of the society and it will be adequately compensated after the party forms government in the state. "Under PM Modi, nobody will be left out when it comes to vikaas. This government has been doing much more for Muslims than any other," he said.