Adityanath says BJP is not against Muslims; Paswan slams SP, BSP
Both the leaders charge the opposition with spreading canard of BJP being antiMuslim, antiDalit and antibackward
LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday sought to allay Muslim concerns about the BJP.
They also reached out to Dalits and OBCs, the two influential caste groups the BJP is seeking to woo ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
They were speaking at a function to mark the 69th birth anniversary of Sone Lal Patel, founder of Apna Dal, an alliance partner (Anupriya faction) in the ruling NDA.
First Paswan and then Adityanath devoted a portion of their speech to what they called debunking the ‘opposition spreading the canard’ of BJP being anti-Muslim, anti-Dalit and anti-backward.
Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Janshakti Party and Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal targeted the SP and the BSP, the two regional players likely to team up against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP, these leaders said, was committed to ending social, economic and academic discrimination.
“When Modiji was the chief minister of Gujarat, even Muslims of the state conceded that they felt most safe there.
After taking oath as Prime Minister, he had said his government was committed to the welfare of the poor and that he would abide only by the Constitution,” Adityanath said.
“The opposition also questions
› When Modiji was the chief minister of Gujarat, even Muslims of the state conceded that they felt most safe there. YOGI ADITYANATH, chief minister
the BJP as being anti-Dalit and anti-backward. But this is far from true. For instance in 5 years’ time, only 14 lakh dalit students were being reimbursed fees and given scholarships. Our government has in about one year only reimbursed fees to 21 lakh students and plans to cover 23 lakh now.
For OBCs too we have done a lot,” Adityanath said and added his government’s one district, one plan initiative was also aimed at helping the most backward, most dalits.
“My government plans to train people like barbers, masons and carpenters in rural areas and provide them tools that would help them benefit economically,” he said.
Paswan used the occasion to target the BSP and SP for exploiting dalits and OBCs.“A canard is being spread that reservation was being reviewed. I must assure you that till such time there is caste system, reservation cannot be reviewed. For the record, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had thrice made it clear that reservation for dalits and OBCs would stay,” Paswan, who was also a minister in Vajpayee government, said.