Mohsin Raza is the sole Muslim member in the newly formed Yogi Adityanath Cabinet. He is a Minister of State in charge of Waqf and Haj Departments along with Science and Technology, Electronics and IT portfolios. A former first-class cricketer, Raza speaks about the new government’s priorities. Excerpts:
How different are you expecting your innings in politics?
I think it will be successful. We have a good team, a good captain and two good vice captains. We trust our captain and are confident that we would manage to get a lot of work done by the 50 overs.
What will be your first step as minister?
The directions to government officials are clear: to work on the promises made by us in our sankalp patra (manifesto). We will keep all our promises made to people.
The BJP has few Muslim representatives. Tell us about your association with the party.
I was first exposed to the BJP ideology in 1996. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was contesting election from Lucknow and I heard few of his speeches, which had a deep influence on me... Atalji charmed the audience and connected with the last person in the line. He spoke his heart. As time passed, and he became Prime Minister, I even made attempts to meet him and had the chance to do so a few times.
I decided that if I ever enter politics, I will do it through this party.
What do you mean by the “BJP’s ideology?”
The BJP thinks for the last person in society. Other parties have kept Muslims away from the BJP for so long by inducing fear.
If you go back in history, what did the so-called Muslim well wishers do for Muslims? Those in the Muslim League sold us to be used by the Congress and migrated to Pakistan.
Till date what has the Congress given to Indian minorities? They claim they are secular, but they gave us madrasas with the clear agenda of keeping us away from the mainstream.
Don’t Muslims have reason to feel insecure by the RSS’ ideology and goal of a Hindu Rashtra?
That is a big debate. This is not true from any angle. All these unsubstantiated ideas are thrown about to trigger panic among people. The RSS is a social service organisation. It was formed to serve society. How can anyone think negatively about it? Can’t we all see the new heights the RSS has brought to the country today? And still people are looking for faults. Shame on them.
It is believed that Muslims are averse to being associated with the BJP.
Because they have been told so. Woh bechare toh hamare saath hai . (Those poor ones are with us).
Will you work in the direction to connect Muslims to BJP?
Definitely. Our party is already doing it. We raised the triple talaq issue. We will show you in 2019 how Muslims will openly vote for the BJP at the mass level. They voted this time behind the veil. They were threatened. They [Muslim women] could not talk openly about it but they voted for the BJP. You will see more and more Muslims joining the BJP in future. What do they want, after all? Employment, not guns, pens and shovels.
BJP accuses SP, BSP and Congress of Muslim appeasement. What is your opinion?
Which parties were talking about Muslims and screaming their names during the election? They had a hint that the BJP is getting a good majority, so they were all running an agenda. But people did not let them succeed. People continued their support to Modiji, stuck to development and trust. The BJP faced allegations that it did not field a single Muslim, Is this not sabka saath sabka vikaas. They accorded ministerial berth to a person who is not a member of any House. What do they have to say now? Don’t doubt the intention and policy of the BJP. Our intention is clear, that is why people supported Modiji and Amit Shahji.
Yogi Adityanath is an advocate of Hindutva...
He has never said anything anti-Muslim. He only speaks of people who talk such things. Who would not?
What about the provocative speeches made by Yogi Adityanath from the stage?
He is a mahant. How can you ever expect that a religious man would do or let wrong things happen? There can be no better administrator than him.
He is not at all anti-Muslim. He is a rashtravadi (nationalist).
