What does Zafar Sareshwala, the Muslim said to be closest to Narendra Modi, think of the Shiv Sena's demand that Muslims not be giving voting rights?
Zafar Sareshwala is a Gujarati businessman considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is also the vice-chancellor of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University.
Sareshwala, below, left, spoke to A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com about the controversy generated by the April 12 editorial in the Shiv Sena newspaper Saamna which said Muslims' voting rights should be revoked as they are being used as vote banks.
What do you have to say about the Shiv Sena's statement that the voting rights to Muslims should be withdrawn?
This is laughable. These are antics to remain in the public glare. I would not even reply to such statements. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.
This is a party that is part of the government. This gentleman (Sanjay Raut, the editor of Saamna) is a member of Parliament.
It shows the sad state of our political class. The government and courts should take suo moto action on this issue.
They are writing this in their party organ. It is not an issue for me. It is alarming that representatives of political parties can go down to this level.
Do you believe that Muslims are being exploited for vote bank politics?
Yes! They have been exploited for 65 years. Muslims have been reduced to a community of committees and commissions. Nothing happens. Since 1947 they are worse than Dalits. Systematically they have been short changed.
In per capita income, education, business, in every sphere of life they are lagging behind. Many are considered vote banks, particularly the weaker sections.
The genesis of the problem lies in the fact that the Congress and other secular parties think that the Muslims will vote for us and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) thinks that they will not vote for us.
The change will be when the BJP thinks that Muslims can also vote for them. We will see that soon.
Muslims are thinking of education, health and job security and these are the same criteria for a non-Muslim. He is also as aspirational as the rest of the youth in the country.
They belong to the same middle class. Except religion, everything else is common. The sufferings are the same.
Isn't it a myth that Muslims vote en bloc for a particular political party?
It used to be once upon a time. Not now. Lot of water has flowed in the Sabarmati river. Muslims are fragmented everywhere. They all have their own choices. They have the same choices as a Hindu in that area.
The Shiv Sena knows that voting rights to Muslims can never be withdrawn. Why do they say such things?
The same Shiv Sena candidate went to Muslims and asked for their votes. They should ask their ally the BJP about their Muslim members. The Shiv Sena also has Muslim members. They should remember that charity begins at home.
Do you feel that Muslims are alienated in India?
Not at all! The alienation is between the haves and have-nots. Go and see farmers in rural India.
Poverty in India has both Hindus and Muslims. The difference is between people who have degrees and those who don't. The alienation is between people who have jobs and those who don't.
They should not go for soft targets. They should address real issues. In Bihar Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the Hindus if they wanted to fight Muslims or poverty. He also asked Muslims if they wanted to fight Hindus or poverty.
The fight is against poverty, not against each other.
In France the prime minister said, 'I am committed to protect the fundamental rights of every single citizen in India.'
Modiji told CNN that Muslims are as good nationalists as every other Indian. He has said this time and again.
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