On Government level Prime minister removed all the Muslim ministers from his cabinet giving a strange message to the community with a population of 20 crore. Even haj affairs is being look after by a minister who is not Muslims.
“The day I start doing Hindu-Muslims, I won’t be entitled to live in the public domain. I won’t do Hindu-Muslim. This is my pledge,” PM Modi said.
Nirendra Dev and Andalib Akhter
Indian elections are ‘delight’ to look at from outside by psephologists, journalists and even statisticians or data girls and guys. It is often difficult to calculate the swings and sweeps; and tougher proposition is to look for “patterns” on how India votes.
It is also complex to gauge the functioning styles of the Neta class, the political parties and other stakeholders close to the Netas. There is often duality and also glimpses of inconsistency. But Indian politicians are smart enough to keep things revolving around blame-giving and credit-seeking phenomenon.
Narendra Modi has had his unique dosage of love-hate relationship with Muslims over the decades. It came to the fore repeatedly in 2024 polls as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that while at home he is “cornered” on his relationship the with Muslims, it was he who during the month of Ramzan prevailed upon the Israeli government to stop bombing during the holy month of Ramzan.
“It was the month of Ramzan. So I sent my special envoy to Israel and asked him to convey and explain to the Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) that at least do not carry out bombings in Gaza during Ramzan.
They (Israel) made every effort to follow it but in the end, there was a fight for two-three days.” Modi said in an interview to India Today TV channel. “Here, you keep on cornering me on the Muslims issue but I didn’t publicise it,” the Prime Minister said.
There is another round of anecdotes that came to light in his interview with a Muslim TV anchor Rubika Liyaqat of News18. PM Modi said that he does not market love towards Muslims, “I do not work for a vote bank. I believe in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.”
Clarifying his “infiltrators” and “those with more children” remarks, Prime Minister said “I am shocked. Who told you that whenever one talks of people with more children, the inference is they are Muslims? Why are you so unjust towards Muslims? This is the situation in poor families too. Where there is poverty, there are more children, irrespective of their social circle. I didn’t mention either Hindu or Muslim. I have said that one should have as many children as you can take care of. Don’t let a situation arise where the government has to take care of your children,” the Prime Minister said.
Referring to the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat when he was the Chief Minister of the state, PM Modi said that his opponents “tarnished” his image among the Muslims after 2002.
“This issue is not about Muslims. Irrespective of how supportive individual Muslims are of Modi, there is a wave of thought that dictates to them, ‘do this, do that’. In my house, there are all Muslim families around me.
“Eid was also celebrated in our house, and there were other festivals in our house. Food was not cooked in our house on the day of Eid. Food used to come to my place from all the Muslim families. When Muharram started, we needed to come out from under the Tajiya, we were taught. I grew up in that world. Even today, many of my friends are Muslims. After 2002 (Godhra), my image was tarnished,” he added.
Asked whether Muslims would vote for him in this Lok Sabha election, he said that the “people of the country will vote for me.” “The day I start doing Hindu-Muslims, I won’t be entitled to live in the public domain. I won’t do Hindu-Muslim. This is my pledge,” PM Modi said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi, in a public rally in Rajasthan, alleged Congress wants to take away the gold and property of people and distribute it among “those having more children.”
But Indian Muslims in general believe that ever since Narendra Modi’s led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in 2014, they have had a turbulent experience.
Experts say anti-Muslim sentiments have heightened under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has pursued a Hindu nationalist agenda since elected to power in 2014.
Hindu frenzied mobs have lynched suspected cow traders and targeted small Muslim-owned businesses. Petitions have been filed against mosques. Right-wing groups and sections of mainstream media have fuelled Islamophobia with accusations of “jihad” – “love jihad”, for example, falsely accuses Muslim men of converting Hindu women by marriage.
And anti-Muslim hate speech has surged – several incidents were reported from states ruled by the BJP. Muslim institutions, Madarsas, properties targeted harshly. On Government level Prime minister removed all the Muslim ministers from his cabinet giving a strange message to the community. Even Haj affairs is being look after by a minister who is not Muslim.
Many independent scholars are of the view that “Muslims have become second-class citizens, an invisible minority in their own country”. But despite this injustice community has shown extreme sagacity, patience and farsightedness. It is yet to be scrutinized how Muslims take prime minister new love gesture towards them