No Muslim got a ticket from Gujarat BJP: Congress

New Delhi: Seeking to puncture BJP’s attempts to reach out to Muslims ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Congress today reminded the community that Narendra Modi had not given a single election ticket to any Muslim in Gujarat and accused him of creating fear psychosis among the minorities. “From the 182 Assembly seats and 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, it was not thought proper to give Muslims even a single ticket by BJP. How you can say this is real repentance?”, party spokesman Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters. [caption id=“attachment_1407941” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] Gohil, a known detractor of the Gujarat Chief Minister, said that the BJP PM candidate has always contested elections by creating a fear psychosis among Muslims by raising issues like Sohrabuddin encounter and the Sir Creek dispute with Pakistan. Congress has always raked up the 2002 anti-Muslim riots to target Modi. His reaction came soon after BJP chief Rajnath Singh asked Muslims to give the party a chance and not go by the “propaganda” spread by Congress. Singh promised Muslims to stand for equality and apologise for any “mistake” or shortcoming in the past. Gohil alleged that the BJP has always played the politics of deceit as it never built a temple for Lord Ram, despite coming to power on the Ayodhya issue. “They swore in the name of Lord Ram, to build a magnificent temple at Ayodhya. But no temple was built. They first vowed in Lord Ram’s name to build a temple there, then they vowed not to build a temple,” he said, taking a jibe at the saffron party. Gohil alleged BJP and Rajnath Singh always had the habit of distorting history to project Congress in poor light. “We do not do politics of votebank unlike them”. “Today they have got good sense, it is welcome”, the Congress spokesman said when asked about AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s remark that communalism was greater danger than corruption. Rajnath Singh earlier appealed to Muslims: “Please note that whenever, wherever if there has been any mistake and shortcoming on our part, I assure you that we will apologise to you by bowing our heads.” “Try us once. We don’t come up to your expectations, don’t look at us ever again,” he said at the event “Modi for PM - Mission 272+ - role of Muslims” here. PTI