'I Felt Enough Is Enough And Quit The BJP'

'All senior Muslim leaders of the BJP are left behind.'
'Doodh mein se makhi jaisey nikaal dete hain.'

Nighat Abbas was one of the most vocal Muslim faces of the Bharatiya Janata Party on television channels, defending the party's stance on various issues.

Even during the Citizenship (Amendment) Act movement she stood by the BJP even though sections of the Muslim community was protesting against the law on the streets of Delhi.

For the last one year Nighat Abbas has been keeping a low profile and was rarely seen defending the BJP on television channels.

This year she quit the BJP and joined the Congress.

"," Nighat Abbas tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com.

You were a hardcore supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so why did you quit the BJP?

Absolutely, I was with the BJP for seven years. I joined the party in 2018. It is only after time passes you realise that slogans like 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas' are mere slogans and nothing happens on the ground.

The slogan suggests that the BJP speaks of inclusive politics but then you get slogans from their leaders like, 'Batenge toh Katenge (If Hindus are divided, they will be cut into pieces)'. They are instigating a particular community by making such statements.

They want to do it intentionally and expect a reaction from that community so they can tell everyone, 'Look, this community always resorts to violence'.

The BJP instead should have got a slogan like 'Saath Rahenge toh mazboot rehenge (United we stand strengthened)'.

Did you ever advocate this in party forums?

I have raised these issues in party forums. I have said that the youth of this country and Muslims do not like such slogans so we need to go softer on such statements. We must speak about the BJP's good work to voters rather than talking of religious issues.

But no heed was paid to my words and now I felt enough is enough and quit the BJP.

Mr Modi in Lok Sabha 2024 election campaign speeches indirectly accused the Muslim community of producing more kids and how this would result in mangalsutras being snatched away.

During the general elections of 2024 I kept away from campaigning. I did object to this statement on my 'X' account. But now, I feel there is no solution to this problem within the BJP.

But you supported the BJP even when Anurag Thakur said, 'Goli maaro saalon ko'.

In an internal party meeting I criticised Anurag Thakur's statement as well as that of Parvesh Sharma (against Muslims). At that point of time, the home minister of India, Amit Shah, assured me that he too does not support such statements.

When you joined the BJP what were your aspirations? Didn't you know the party does not give tickets to Muslims to contest elections?

I was very young when I joined the BJP in 2018. I agree they do not give tickets to Muslims to contest which is a very wrong thing to do.

When you talk of equal representation then you cannot suppress one community by not giving them poll tickets. Even the triple talaq law which they brought, they have not implemented it rightly.

But 'Batenge toh Katenge' is paying dividends for the BJP as i won the Haryana and Maharashta elections.

It is not about votes all the time. I came to politics to bring peace in society and for the betterment of society through development work.

Today, the situation in Uttar Pradesh is that it is very difficult for Muslims to get a house in a society and if this is what India has come to, then it is a very sorry state of affairs.

When you approached the Congress what did they say to you?

The Congress always speaks of community building and peace in society. They have always spoken about secularism even though they are out of power for the last 10 years.

The Congress never compromises on its secular credentials. They have never demeaned any community like the BJP does.

Check Rahul Gandhi, the way he carried himself during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. He has changed drastically and this resulted in the BJP not getting a majority on its own.

What has happened to leaders like Zafur ul Islam and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in the BJP? These leaders are not much heard from nowadays.

Absolutely. All senior Muslim leaders of the BJP are left behind. Doodh mein se makhi jaisey nikaal dete hain (Just like you take a fly out from milk).

I never wanted to seek answers to my questions from any senior BJP Muslim leader because I know they will not have answers to my questions.

When I vent my anger against the BJP on X I never got a call from any BJP leader asking, 'Why am I doing so?'

The BJP is not taking the right path in politics.