Dozens from Shaheen Bagh, site of anti-CAA protest, join BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party said on Sunday several residents of Delhi's Shaheen Bagh locality have joined the party at an induction ceremony. The locality had grabbed national headlines earlier this year over a months-long protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The BJP's Delhi unit chief Adesh Gupta said the ceremony highlights that people of all religions have faith in the Narendra Modi government.
50 from Shaheen Bagh joined BJP, said party
The induction ceremony was conducted in the presence of BJP's national vice-president and Delhi unit in-charge Shyam Jaju along with Gupta. Activist Shahzad Ali, gynecologist Dr. Mehreen, former Aam Aadmi Party worker Tabassum Hussain are among who joined the party, a statement said. The new entrants included over 50 from the Shaheen Bagh locality, Delhi BJP leader Nighat Abbass told The Indian Express.
'New entrants include people who were against CAA'
Gupta said the ceremony shows that the people support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to reach out to every section of the society. Abbass said the new entrants include those who supported CAA and those who were against it. He asserted that there is a "myth" that Muslims are "averse" to the BJP, which has now been dispelled.
Muslims' faith in BJP has increased: Gupta
TIE quoted Gupta as saying, "These people were influenced by BJP's effort to reach out to everyone, and not use them as a vote bank. Today's event shows that Muslims' faith in the party has increased."
'Will raise any CAA concerns on party platform'
Meanwhile, Ali, former Delhi unit secretary of Rashtriya Ulema Council, told PTI, "A narrative has been set by many parties in the past seven decades that BJP is the enemy of Muslims." Speaking to TIE, he added, "If there is some confusion (regarding CAA), I will raise it on the party platform. We will sit together with them over CAA concerns."
Anti-CAA Shaheen Bagh protest started December last year
In December last year, massive nationwide protests had erupted against the CAA, which critics said could be coupled with the National Citizens Register (NRC) to expel Muslims from the country. The protests were littered with instances of violence, arson, police brutality, and shootings. The protest at Shaheen Bagh was a 24*7 sit-in, which continued from mid-December till March-end when the coronavirus lockdown was announced.
