For Atalji’s sake

Slogans like ‘Nareye Takbeer, Allah Ho Akbar’ (Say he is the greatest, Allah is the greatest) announce every rally or workers’ meeting. Candidates reiterate their Muslim credentials before talking about the party’s Kashmir agenda. “I am a Muslim first with God and his Prophet, peace be on him, being in my heart. After that I am a party worker or a candidate. If the BJP was even remotely anti-Muslim, why would a practicing Muslim like me join the party,” challenges Sofi Yusuf, president of the Kashmir BJP and the party’s candidate from Anantnag.

“I am not talking about the few known names in Delhi. The BJP is full of Muslims in other states. In Ajmer, for example, which is the holiest of places for Muslims, the entire Dargah Auqaf supports the BJP. One candidate from the Auqaf won and is now the transport minister in Rajasthan,” says Yusuf.

Kashmiris love Vajpayeeji. He did so much for us,” he says. “The fact that he was the most secular prime minister cannot be doubted. From the opening of the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road to getting an international airport in Kashmir, it was all his endeavour. Unfortunately, others are taking the credit,” he says.

The BJP, he claims, doesn’t have dual standards. “Look at all the parties here. They talk autonomy or self-rule and do all kinds of vote-bank politics. The BJP, at least, does what it preaches,” he says. “In 1987 the Muslim United Front was winning and the Congress-led Government in Delhi handpicked the National Conference to form the government. The disillusioned youth who wanted a change from the khandan raj in the Valley, took to the gun,” he says.

Yusuf, a former ASI, joined the party in 1996 and has so far contested three elections. He says it was after a lot of thought that he joined the party. “It was the voice of my conscience, as I love Kashmir. Other parties have given us 80,000 graves. The BJP is the only party that can be trusted”.

He claims that his efforts have helped the party gain ground in Kashmir. “From the time when getting a candidate to contest was a problem, to this election when we have four to five people as prospective candidates for each of the 47 constituencies, it’s been a long way,” he says.

... contd.