Does Narendra Modi really consider Indian Muslims patriotic!

-Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal

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One wonders if the  image of Muslims in India is on the verge of a governmental face lift it badly requires and deserves. After decades of  communal and hate politics the BJP  seems to be changing towards a somewhat positive mindset  with regard to Muslims in India. . . 

For years, BJP  and allies have worked overnight to make Hindus hate Muslims. Anything Islamic is criticized by them merely for Hindu votes- in fact to take away Hindu votes form Congress party.  Many Hindutva people even claim  the world famous architectural  monument in  marble, Taj Mahal at Agra, build by Mogul empire under Emperor Shajahan was built by Hindus and  want to  say that Hindus are much better than Muslims in any domain. They now occupy several Mosques saying they were temples or Hindu  houses. Indian government ans even judiciary support them because they have to take care of prestige of Hindus. .  . 

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By way of slamming  Al Qaeda,  Indian Premier Narendra Modi has today called Indian Muslims patriotic people who will die for the country:

In an interview to CNN on Friday, prime-minister Modi slammed the terrorist group Al Qaeda which was used by the USA to execute the notorious Neocons'  plan of  a terror attack on USA  to gain legitimacy to invade and destabilize many Muslim nations starting with an Islamizing Afghanistan,  and  loot their resources.  , which had earlier announced the formation of an Indian branch of its militant group.

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri had earlier in September described the formation of "Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent" as glad tidings for Muslims "in Burma, Bangladesh, Assam, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, and Kashmir" and said the new wing would rescue Muslims there from injustice and oppression.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  asserted  that the patriotism of Indian Muslims is unquestionable, slamming the terrorist group Al Qaeda, which had earlier in September announced the formation of an Indian branch of its militant group.
 
Modi, speaking to the first foreign media organization since taking over as the Indian prime minister, said, "Indian Muslims will live for India and die for India. Al Qaeda delusional to think Indian Muslims will dance to its tunes."
 
Modi, who is scheduled to visit the United States later in the month for a UN meeting and meeting with US president Barrack Obama , said he has high hopes from his visit to the country, which, he said, shared many historic and cultural similarities with India. He added despite many ups and downs in the Indo-US relations in the past, the ties between the two countries will take 'a new shape in the 21st century.' He was quoted by CNN as saying, Modi said confident that India and the US can develop genuine strategic alliance.  
"The Indo-US ties should not be seen within the limits of Delhi and Washington: Both the countries realise that their ties are in a much larger sphere."

Does Modi’s explanation stands for BJP and other Hindutva parties? Many BJP leaders now swear that their party never considered Indian Muslims as traitors but only as patriots since many Muslims even in military establishments work sincerely for India. They give the example of Dr. APJ.  Abdul Kalam who rose to  be India’s president  by sheer hard work to prove their point.

This pro-Muslim approach , if it is real, is in fact anti-climax in Indian Hindutva politics which is indeed a better trend in India.

In fact, BJP and other Hindutva parties have never failed to criticize Muslims as suspected citizens and pro-Pakistanis for political and poll purposes.  The very rise of BJP and allies to power in states and at the centre owes much to Muslims’ issue.  

BJP says the Congress and other so-called secular parties have misused. But BJP has very tactfully used the vote bank politics of Congress to corner Hindu votes.

BJP even criticized India’s house hold name and Tennis ace Sania Mirza when she was made the brand ambassador of new Telengana state, making an ugly statement that Sania is a Pakistani because she married a Pakistani.

BJP says the communal troubles are created by Congress and other parties. In UP where Samajwadi party rules has encouraged a communal war, leading to the killing of Muslims in Muzzafarnagar.

BJP now says they have been harmful to Muslims and they want to change the course now.

Al-Qaeda is strong in neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan and is also making its presence felt in Bangladesh but not at all able to enter India which has more Muslims than  all these three Muslim nations.

With a view to win over the Hindu votes, BJP in fact has divided Indian nation along communal lines and Congress also helped with the process.

So much so, BJP and other Hindu communal outfits openly threatened Muslims for years to go India.

However, now BJP’s strongest leader Modi has admitted that Indian Muslims live and die for India.