BJP president Rajnath Singh met an important Shia cleric in Lucknow Maulana Kalbe Jawad who even praised the BJP president by comparing him with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Congress has accused the BJP of double standards.
“Congress wants to ask BJP if the Shahi Imam comes to Congress President’s residence it is communalism, then what they would call when the BJP chief goes to Muslim clerics and makes promises to them? Is it not communalism”? Congress General Secretary Ajay Maken said.
Sonia Gandhi meeting Muslim clerics and then the announcement made by the clerics to back the Congress that ruffled the BJP President Rajnath Singh and now the same Rajnath Singh meeting the Shia clerics has brought into focus the dilemma of the BJP to the fore.
“It shows BJP’s double-speak, double-face and dual character,” Maken said. Rajnath Singh, who is contesting from Lucknow Lok Sabha seat met Maulana Kalve Javvad and Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahli.
During the meeting, Rajnath was flanked by sitting MP from Lucknow, Lalji Tandon. It is being learnt that Rajnath Singh has appealed to both the Muslim clerics to back the BJP in the elections. However BJP President has termed it wrong to attribute his meeting as political.
The clerics however did not directly support Rajnath Singh but they gave a political message saying that Muslims have no problem accepting Rajnath Singh and compared him with Atal Behari Vajpayee.
The meeting has made the BJP opponents a chance to politically attack the saffron party.
However BJP has said that there is nothing wrong in meeting the clerics.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said Singh’s meeting could not be equated with Gandhi’s. “She met a delegation of Muslims clerics led by the Shahi Imam and appealed to him that Muslim votes should not split.
Seeking votes in the name of religion is wrong. Rajnath has done nothing wrong. Every candidate meets people in their constituency,” he said.
Sonia Gandhi, a few days back had met the Shahi Imam of Jama masjid. In this meeting, Sonia Gandhi had appealed not to divide the anti-communal vote. The meeting drew the ire of the BJP who even complained to the Election Commission. But now Rajnath Singh is also taking same route.