Union Minister Uma Bharti on Monday echoed Home Minister Rajnath Singh's stand on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielding Muslim candidates in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Another union minister, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, joined the chorus.
Bharti – Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation – said the BJP made a "huge mistake" by not fielding any Muslim candidates.
Rajnath Singh had earlier said Muslims should have been given tickets by the BJP in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
I am really feeling sorry that we could not field a Muslim. I spoke with (BJP President) Amit Shah and (state party President) Keshav Prasad Maurya about how we could have brought a Muslim to the assembly.Uma Bharti to CNN-News18
"Rajnath ji has said the right thing – we could have given ticket (to Muslims)," she said.
Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said:
As far as tickets are concerned, it would have been better (if tickets were given to Muslims). We will address their concern by compensating them when we form the government in the state.
Bharti's comments met with opposition from her party colleague and Rajya Sabha member Vinay Katiyar, who questioning the logic of BJP fielding Muslims.
When Muslims do not vote for us, why should we give tickets to them?Vinay Katiyar
Watch what Rajnath Singh told Barkha Dutt when asked about BJP fielding Muslims in UP elections:
(With IANS inputs)
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