BJP minority morcha chief says 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' PM Modi's guarantee
New Delhi, Jul 20: 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas' is a guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has often expressed concerns about the backwardness of pasmanda Muslims, BJP's minority morcha chief Jamal Siddiqui said Saturday, dismissing West Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari's contention the party should dump the slogan and shut its wing for minorities.
Siddiqui said Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal who made the angry remarks at a party meeting over its subpar showing in the state in the Lok Sabha polls, is relatively new to the BJP and will take time to appreciate its guiding philosophy of 'antyodaya', coined by party ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
Modi has taken the idea forward, Siddiqui said. "'Sabka saath, sabka vikas' (inclusive development) is a guarantee of the prime minister," he added.
Speaking to PTI, Siddiqui also backed the Uttar Pradesh government's directive to all owners of eateries and carts selling eatables on the route of kanwarias to display their names. He slammed the opposition's criticism of the move.
Reacting to Adhikari's comments, he said BJP's minority morcha is a key component of the party's outreach to the most deprived sections of society, recalling Modi's concerns about a lack of development of pasmanda Muslims, a reference to the backward sections of the minority community.
They have been exploited by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for their vote bank politics, he said.
As the soul is to body, so is the ideology of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' to the BJP, he said.
After his remarks sparked a row, Adhikari claimed his comments were misinterpreted and expressed his support to Modi's call for 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'.
Acknowledging that minorities might not have voted for the BJP in significant numbers during the polls, Siddiqui said, Modi has often spoken about working for those who voted for him as well as those who did not.
"As a political party the BJP's goal is not to gain power for the sake of it but to serve everyone," the BJP's minority morcha chief said.
He, however, unequivocally endorsed the Uttar Pradesh government's controversial directive.
He said it was observed in past that some people change their names to do business or even cause trouble, and this at times hurts the sentiments of Hindu pilgrims who follow religiously sanctioned diet during the yatra.
The directive is for people of every faith and in no way prevents Muslims from doing their business, he said, adding that a large number of them are involved in business activities during the yatra.
He said he had been setting up health facilities for pilgrims and has never faced any issue.
"I go there as Jamal Siddiqui. If one does not have any bad intention, then why Jamal should present himself as Jairam," he asked, alleging that opposition parties at times send their supporter under fake identity to create trouble.
The opposition's criticism of the UP government's directive is due to their vote bank politics and is an attempt to malign the country globally when Modi is doing everything to boost the country's international profile, he said.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
