Muslim women supported BJP in UP over triple talaq issue: Kailash Vijayvargiya

Bhopal: Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Wednesday claimed that Muslims, especially women, supported the party over the triple talaq issue during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

"This was stated not only by political pundits but also the journalists doing poll analysis that the BJP got a sizable chunk of votes from the Muslim community, especially women, over (the party's stand on) triple talaq issue. Their sympathy was with the BJP on the issue as their condition is very poor and they are facing a lot of problems," Vijayvargiya said, speaking to reporters here.

"People of Uttar Pradesh have voted for the party rising above the caste factor. Even Muslims have supported BJP's development agenda of 'sabka sath, sabka vikas' under the leadership of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and the party president Amit Shah," Vijayvargiya said.

As to the image of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a Hindutva hardliner, he said the people should visit Gorakhpur before forming any views about him.

"Muslims not only own shops in his ashram but he also helps them during their daughters' weddings," Vijayvargiya said.

To a question, the BJP leader alleged that owing to its policy of appeasement, the West Bengal government was not taking the issue of infiltration from across the border seriously which had changed the demographic profile of the state.

In Assam, where similar situation existed, the BJP government was taking steps to address the problem, he said.

When asked whether the BJP would contest 2018 Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he said, "100 per cent."

He also praised Chouhan for organising 'Narmada Sewa Yatra' for the conservation of river Narmada.