The doors of the BJP are open for all those who chant “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.
That’s what Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, national spokesperson of the BJP and former Union minister, said in reply to a query from The Telegraph on why his party imported so many leaders from other parties to contest the Assembly election in Jharkhand while the party claimed to have 17 crore members across the country.
“Koi Bangladesh se aaya kya? BJP ka darwaza kisi ke liye band nahi. Jo bhi Bharat Mata Ki Jai kahega usko humarein party mein swaagat hai (Has anyone joined from Bangladesh? Whoever says Bharat Mata Ki Jai they are welcome in our party),” Shahnawaz said.
Replying to another query on how many Bangladeshi citizens the party had deported in five years of being in power at the Centre though it often claims to do so and creates a sense of terror among a section of people in the country by harping on the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Shahnawaz said it would be done soon.
“NRC will be implemented across the country at one go. Those who are staying in the country to save their freedom of religion will be given citizenship while others will be asked to go back to their motherland. It does not have to do anything with religion. No Indian should be afraid of it,” he said.
Earlier, Hussain took a dig at the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance government in Maharashtra.
“The BJP did not compromise with its principles. When it had alliance with Mehbooba Mufti in Kashmir the party made her chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai and killed terrorists like Burhan Wani,” Hussain said.
Asked whether the party would enter into an alliance with its old ally Ajsu Party in case the BJP did not get majority on its own in Jharkhand, Hussain iterated the party slogan, Abki Baar 65 Paar.
“The party is confident of winning 65 seats this time. If someone comes to become 66th, 67th and 68th, we will think over it,” Hussain said.
Asked how he was so confident of winning 65 seats, he said: “Hamare paas Modi hai (We have Modi).” He added: “Modi hamari mazbooti hai aur Rahul unki kamzori hai (Modi is our strength, Rahul is their weakness).
Asked about the GDP growth slowing down and increasing prices of staples such as onions, Hussain said: “In the first quarter GDP remained low but it was better than any of the nations of the G-20 and the slowdown was very low in comparison to the economic slowdown across the world. “Do not worry. We are going to make India a $5 trillion economy,” he added.
