Referencing the communal clashes, Congress leaders in Gujarat yesterday said that members of the minority communities should support their party in the upcoming Assembly elections. The leaders, addressing the Muslim community specifically, said that everyone was aware of the reality behind the riots and so should not get carried away by fake propaganda from parties who have only recently joined the political race.
The Congress leaders were speaking at an event to felicitate Kadir Pirzada, the newly-appointed working president of the party’s Gujarat unit, and other leaders. State party president Jagdish Thakor said, “All of us know who is behind the communal riots happening in the country, and how they benefit from it. We know and still fall prey to it. We should stay cautious about not falling into the trap.”
The leaders were making implied references to All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who the Congress calls the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘B’ and ‘C’ teams. Party veteran Arjun Modhwadia said that the Muslim community leaders should come forth and discuss their concerns with Congress. The party and the community should work together to resolve these issues before the Assembly polls. He said, “We have to ensure that our complaints with each other are resolved and in 2022 (election), the A team does not return to power with the help of B and C teams.”
Meanwhile, Thakor urged Muslim communities to come out and vote in large numbers. He also asked Muslim leaders in the party to frame a time-bound programme targeting 60 Assembly seats with a sizable Muslim population. He also called for an election manifesto for the minority communities.
