Minorities bat for BJP!

Well, is it a case of what goes around comes around? A strange sight greeted everyone at the Christu Prabhalaya Church in Jayanagar on a mystical day earlier this week when it quite appropriately rained even as the sun shone brightly. First-time Jayanagar MLA BN Vijayakumar who has been busy attending felicitation meetings will surely remember this meet. A large gathering of people belonging to the minority community turned out in full strength to fete the BJP MLA on his victory, with member after member extolling his simplicity and apparently agreeing that his party was not to blame for the communal tag foisted on it by its opponents.

Nominee MLA Derrick Fullingaw from the Anglo Indian community, who was also felicitated by the members, gave a clean chit to the Chief Minister for his prompt action in giving representation to the Muslims in his cabinet by swearing in Mumtaz Ali Khan as the Wakf Minister. He also praised the CM for nominating him as an MLA within three days of coming to power. This showed that the BJP was not anti-minorities at all and was very sincere in its efforts to improve the condition of the minority community, he said, and called upon them not to be swayed by political propaganda against the BJP. The minorities should reciprocate the gestures made by the BJP and extend their full support to it, he said.

Father Christiraj, parish priest, described Vijayakumar as a simple and humble man and also extended his support to him in his efforts to improve the Jayanagar assembly constituency.

Replying to the felicitations, Vijayakumar stressed that the BJP did not discriminate among people as majority and minority, and cautioned the people not to be misled by the so-called secular parties who were carrying on a deliberate campaign to malign his party as communal ever since it started growing in stature. "My door is open to people of all communities," he said, and complimented the organizer, Kennady Shanthakumar, general secretary, BJP Minority Morcha, for giving him an opportunity to interact with the people of his community.

Kennady Shanthakumar stated that for the first time, Christians had solidly backed the BJP, ignoring the communal barbs thrown at it by the Congress and other parties. "Not only Christians, even Muslims have voted for the BJP," he declared saying this was revealed to him by many voters.

Former Corporator C.K. Ramamurthy also assured the minority in his ward of all Support & Cooperation
Kishore Joseph, Publisher, This week Bangalore, decried the tendency among the political parties, media and people to debate in terms of majority and minority vote banks and called for an issue based approach.