The announcement to include the Pasmandas, who constitute over 70 per cent of the total Muslim population of Bihar, came ahead of the assembly polls in the state due later this year.
Pasmanda is an umbrella term encompassing Backward, Dalit, and Adivasi Muslims.
“In Bihar, politics has always been done in the name of Muslims, but no real efforts were ever made to uplift the Pasmanda Muslims. BJP will ensure participation of Pasmanda Muslims in the state politics in the coming future,” Jaiswal said while addressing leaders belonging to the community.
The unique characteristic of the BJP is its commitment to taking all religions, communities and sections of society along, Jaiswal said adding: “The party works with the slogan ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ (Together with all, development for all, trust of all)”.
Without naming any political party, Jaiswal targeted the opposition by saying that although politics has long been played in the name of Muslims, no efforts were made to uplift the Pasmanda Muslims.He claimed that the very term Pasmanda means “those who were left behind,” but no one tried to bring them forward and they have faced continuous discrimination.”Most importantly, they were never given political representation by those parties who used their vote banks for their political gains”, he said.
Jaiswal claimed that vote-bank politics has made the lives of Pasmanda Muslims miserable.
“The level of discrimination they faced has affected multiple generations. It was only after the NDA government came to power that reservations were extended to them,” he said.
State BJP Media in-charge, Danish Iqbal, said Pasmanda Muslims constitute 70 to 80 per cent of the total Muslim population in the state, yet they remain backward.
He claimed that it is vote-bank politics that has ruined Pasmanda Muslims.
“Ironically, it is their own upper class that exploited them, yet this has never been openly discussed. Even today, they are denied equal rights and are looked down upon. This entire section remains marginalised. The discrimination has been so deep-rooted that they were never able to progress,” Iqbal said.
However, since the NDA government came to power both at the Centre and in Bihar, efforts have been made to ensure their development in the spirit of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, he said.
A number of individuals from the Pasmanda Muslim community joined the BJP at the conference.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary was also present on the occasion.
