Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta and other leaders with the joinees, Sunday. Abhinav SahaThe BJP on Sunday said that several Muslim residents of Shaheen Bagh, where a massive protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act was held for months, have joined the party.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said over 100 people from the community had joined the party as they support the Prime Minister’s effort to reach out to every section of society and end triple talaq: “These people were influenced by BJP’s effort to reach out to everyone, and not use them as a vote bank. Today’s event shows that Muslims’ faith in the party has increased.”
Delhi BJP leader Nighat Abbass said those who joined the party — over 50 from Shaheen Bagh and the rest from Okhla and Nizamuddin —included people who supported CAA as well as those who were against it.
Social activist Shahzad Ali, who was among those who joined, said, “People who were protesting here wanted that someone from the government should come here and end the confusion. Today too, I said that if there is some confusion, I will raise it on the party platform. We will sit together with them over CAA concerns.”
Asif Anis, an architect who lives in the area, was among those who joined. “The protest was never against any party but against the Act,” he said. Asked if he supports the CAA or not, he said, “I am neither against it nor in its favour because whether it comes or not doesn’t affect the people of the country. This is the time to focus on a bigger crisis.”