‘Purify Muslims’, Modi Says Quoting Deendayal Upadhyaya

At the BJP National Council Meeting, PM Modi also spoke about bringing electoral reforms in India.

Invoking BJP’s prime ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that “Muslims shouldn’t be treated as substance for votes or looked down upon but should be considered as equals”.

Modi was addressing the BJP National Council Meeting in Kozhikode, Kerala on Sunday, which also marked Upadhyaya’s centenary celebrations.

Contextualising Upadhyaya’s writings and thoughts, Modi quoted him in several places to make a point about Muslims and ideas of ‘secularism.’

“Pandit Upadhyaya used to say no ‘ ang’ (part) of society is untouchable for us. But many people misunderstand BJP and project us wrongfully. The definition of secularism in currency is distorted. It runs down the ‘desh bhakts’ (patriots). At such times, let us see how we look at the minorities,” The Telegraph reported Modi as saying.