Following the results of the four State Assembly elections, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has expressed concern over the direction in which national politics is moving with the Lok Sabha election set to be held next year. Steering clear of binaries, the Jamaat asked political parties to introspect on how the Hindi heartland has come in the grip of communal elements.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, the Jamaat’s vice president Malik Mohtasim Khan said: “We invite both winners and losers of these elections to seriously introspect, ponder, and reflect on the direction that our nation is taking and its impact on our core constitutional values. How communal and polarising tactics were played out, particularly in the Hindi heartland, is a matter of serious concern.”
Dwindling Muslim representation
Mr. Khan drew attention to the diminishing representation of Muslims in representative bodies. “The party that won the elections in three states did not offer a single ticket to the Muslim community in any State. The rampant use of communal statements by top politicians to divide the electorate on religious lines seems to have paid rich dividends.”
He felt the Opposition too fell into a reactionary mode and displayed “complete lack of seriousness, maturity, and sense of responsibility”. “Their lack of preparation, wrong selection of campaign leaders, and incorrect ticket distribution exposed their weakness on the electoral front,” he claimed, advising them to learn their lessons quickly in the light of the upcoming general election next year.
The Jamaat felt there were lessons to be learned from the BJP’s wins in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh just as one has to learn from the Congress’ victory in Telangana.
“The defeat of the Opposition parties in the Hindi heartland and the thumping victory in Telangana, both have many lessons to be learned, the most important being, that the Opposition cannot win the trust of people unless it shows unwavering commitment to the constitutional values of secularism and equal treatment to all religious and caste groups.”
Criticises soft Hindutva approach
The Muslim body criticised the soft Hindutva policy adopted by the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and drew attention to the need to put up a single candidate of the joint Opposition against the BJP. The Jamaat urged the Opposition to also reflect on its failure to arrive at a seat-sharing mechanism. At the same time, it advised the BJP to do some “genuine introspection over its policies and approach towards nation building” and “abandon its communal agenda and animosity towards minorities”.
Despite the electoral setback in the light of diminishing number of Muslim MLAs, the Jamaat urged the community to continue to have faith in the virtues of nation building and work hard for the development of the nation.
