Follow your conscience: RSS to appeal to Muslims

"Every court has acquitted Modi. And there is not a single incident of communal violence in Gujarat in the past 12 years," says Muslim Rashtriya Manch convener

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh plans to reach out to at least five crore Muslims before the Lok Sabha elections to help its affiliate the Bharatiya Janata Party assume power at the Centre.

The Muslim Rashtriya Manch, a platform for Muslims formed in 2002 at the initiative of then RSS sarsangchalak K.S. Sudarshan, has been given the responsibility to approach Muslim voters. The organisation would exhort Muslims “not to fall prey to vote bank politics and vote according to their conscience,” said Vijay Pachpore, RSS swayamsevak and pracharak (campaigner), closely associated with the MRM.

Massive campaign

According to MRM national convener Mohammad Afzal, the organisation’s membership is around 10 lakh and covers over 300 districts in 26 States. “We have launched a mission to make Narendra Modi the next Prime Minister. Our workers will reach out to at least five crore Muslims through Jan Jagran programmes, door-to-door campaigns and big rallies,” he said.

As part of its campaign, the MRM recently launched ‘Modi for PM – Mission 272 +’ and held a meeting in Delhi which saw the participation of more than 500 delegates of the MRM, 100 delegates of the BJP Minority Morcha and senior BJP leaders.

On allegations levelled against Mr. Modi in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots, Mr. Afzal said, “Had Mr. Modi been involved in the riots, his police would not have fired 1,200 rounds and killed over 200 rioters. Every court has acquitted him. And there is not a single incident of communal violence in Gujarat in the past 12 years.”

Battling fatwas

He said the organisation faced resistance in its initial days and post Godhra riots it battled for existence. “People would denounce us saying we were converting Muslims. Many fatwas were issued against us, but when we began spreading our message, the people understood us.”

Mr. Pachpore said the MRM was important for the development of the long-neglected community. “The Muslims of this country are thinking about the treatment meted out to them post Independence. This community lacks leadership and the MRM will help it achieve progress.”