BJP's Mukhtar Naqvi backs Vice President's remarks for affirmative action

Mumbai: Union minister and senior BJP leader, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday backed Vice-President Hamid Ansari's comments on the plight of the minorities, saying there is a need for affirmative action to uplift them.

"Whatever he (Hamid Ansari) has said is correct. I feel his comments are correct. Those are not against BJP or the NDA government, but are against the ignorance in empowering the minorities at a systemic level since the Independence," Naqvi said in Mumbai.

When asked specifically whether he is for affirmative action to uplift the status of the minorities, Ansari said, "Definitely. I feel there should be some action on this."

The comments from the BJP leader, who is among the few Muslim faces of the ruling party, are a departure from the critical remarks made by sections in his party after the speech by Ansari late last month, stirring up a debate on the issue.

On August 31, Vice President had given the example of "Sab ka sath, sab ka vikas (with everyone, for everyone's growth)" calling it commendable and added a pre-requisite for this is "affirmative action" to ensure a common starting point and ability in all to walk at the required pace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often referred to the slogan as his government's code of conduct.

The comments had come in for a sharp criticism from the BJP general secretary, Kailash Vijaywargiya. "A Vice-President's post is a Constitutional position pertaining to the entire country and not to a particular community. Mr Ansari's statement goes against Constitutional proprieties," he had said.

When asked about the controversial decision of the Mumbai civic bodies to ban meat, the minister said that the decision is driven by being sensitive towards the sentiment of the Jain community.