‘Chieftains of communal votes’ biggest barriers on path of inclusive empowerment: Naqvi

Aligarh (UP), May 8 (PTI) Hitting out at Opposition parties, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday said the “chieftains of communal votes” are the biggest barriers on the path of inclusive empowerment and Muslims must not allow their votes to be taken for granted.

He urged Muslim voters to get rid of “political pollution” being spread by the “conspiracy syndicate”, saying this was a must for the community to avoid the treatment of taken for granted.

Naqvi, while interacting with senior professors of the Aligarh Muslim University, prominent people and the media during election campaigning for the May 11 local body polls in Aligarh, said some people treat Muslim votes as their “parental property”.

“The attitude that ‘if Muslims will not vote for us, where else will they go’ had made the community their preferred political destination for deception,” Naqvi was quoted as saying by a statement from his office.

There is a need to defeat exploitation politics to ensure the community’s betterment and empowerment, the former Union minister said.

The “chieftains of communal votes” are the biggest barriers on the path of inclusive empowerment, the former minority affairs minister said.

“When the Modi-Yogi governments (Centre and Uttar Pradesh) and the BJP have not done any discrimination against any community in terms of development, then why should any community show stinginess towards the BJP while voting? Development with dignity and empowerment without appeasement is our mantra,” Naqvi said.

It is high time that the Muslim community comes out from the “trap of traders of votes” and bridge the gap between them and the BJP, he said.

“The BJP has reached out to you by taking four steps forward towards the community and now it is your turn to take two steps forward towards the BJP,” he added.