Dubai: Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Shazia Ilmi Friday accused the Congress and the BJP of creating insecurity among the minorities, especially the Muslims, for vested political interests and using them as mere 'vote bank'.
"There is a phobia created where a party presents itself as a saviour and protector of the minority. The Congress uses RSS and Modi to create this effect. It is very sad and Muslims don't want to be supplicants. They want to be normal citizens who can take care of themselves", Shazia Ilmi said while talking to UAE's leading newspaper Khaleej Times.
Lashed out at BJP and Congress for creating insecurity in minorities and then using it to push their own political agenda through vote bank politics, she said, "We want to talk about the communalism of every party and ask them why Muslims have been singled out as a vote bank for one party — mostly by Congress. Even for the BJP, they have vilified and treated someone as others. One has to go beyond identity politics."
She hinted that the party would reach out to Muslims but stay away from fear mongering and politics of hatred.
"We don't want Muslims to be used as vote banks, which is what they have been used as. Muslims are gearing around the Aam Aadmi Party. They feel this party means what it says", Shazia Ilmi, who is currently visiting Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the invitation of the UAE chapter of Jamia Millia Islamia alumni, said.
Shazia called on minorities to vote for the right candidate and not base their decision on religious factors. "I might have a Muslim candidate and I might be a Muslim but I have to ask if the Muslim candidate will do anything for me. Or will somebody like Yogendra Yadav or Prashant Bhushan do something better? Real issues should be talked about and it should not be individual-centric."
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