Bharatiya Janata Party national executive member and leader in charge of Andhra Pradesh V. Muraleedharan has reiterated that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is a virus and that the League is giving Congress president Rahul Gandhi a piggyback ride in Wayanad.
Do you subscribe to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s views on IUML?
Yes. The Congress is constrained to rely heavily on the IUML that was instrumental in dividing the country and I wish to repeat that the BJP does not need the votes of such anti-national elements.
Is it in line with the anti-minority stance of the BJP?
The BJP is not against the minorities at all. We are opposing only those extremist elements that pose a potential challenge to the integrity of the nation and not the community as a whole. The party does not have the same view of the Christian community. The BJP has great acceptance among all denominations of the community.
But the Centre has blocked flow of funds to the charitable organisations run by the Church of different denominations.
The Centre might have tightened the banking rules to regulate unrestricted flow of foreign funds to the country. The curbs are applicable to all sections, including Hindus and not for the Christian community alone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in response to Bishop Soosa Pakiam M.’s demand, has decided to appoint a Fisheries Minister. We share a warm relation with the Christian community.
As former State president, how do you reckon the BJP’s chances in Kerala?
Rahul’s entry has helped us to have the best candidates in Thrissur and Wayanad. The BJP did not wield much influence among the 14% Ezhava votes in Wayanad. The entry of Bharat Dharma Jana Sena president Thushar Vellapally has altered the equations. Now we share a warm relation with the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam and that would influence the verdict across the State. The National Democratic Alliance could field the best candidates in Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Palakkad and that would help us gain an upper hand this time.
What about the organisational lapses and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s dominance in the election machinery?
Those are all things of the past. Now the party machinery is functioning in full steam. The active involvement of the RSS in electioneering would only better our prospects. We all strive for the common cause of the Hindu community and that will only bolster our prospects.
How do you rate your chances in Andhra Pradesh?
The BJP is poised for a comfortable win in all south Indian States, especially in Andhra Pradesh. The campaign of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu against Jaganmohan Reddy will work to our advantage.