By Mumtaz Alam, India Tomorrow,

New Delhi, 27 Feb 2014: The hint for apology over Gujarat riot lacks seriousness, and without change in its anti-Muslim ideology and policy mere apology won’t help Bharatiya Janata Party, said Mr. Nusrat Ali, Secretary General, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.

Reacting over BJP president Rajnath Singh’s statement that the party would render apology if it committed any mistake, Jamaat leader said: “They (BJP) do not look serious in their announcement as they made the apology offer conditional. It means they are still not ready to admit that they have done any mistake. The whole world knows what happened in 1992 when LK Advani took out rath yatra, and then the Babri Masjid was demolished and 10 years later what happened in Gujarat is also known to the world. Besides, several reports on communal riots in India are also before us.”

The Jamaat leader said the apology offer is just to appease Muslims to get their votes.

“They are saying this when Lok Sabha election is round the corner. If they really felt that they had committed mistakes then they should have done it (rendered apology) much earlier. Twelve years have passed since the Gujarat incident and now they are talking about apology,” said Nusrat Ali in an interview with India Tomorrow.

Jamaat leader categorically said that apology gesture won’t help BJP as without changing its ideology it can’t get vote of Muslims. He also said that the party should snap ties with RSS.

“Even if they admit their mistake then what about their ideology which is based on hatred? They keep making statement about minorities particularly Muslims. They will have to relook at their policy. If they remain stick to their ideology and maintain contact with RSS then mere apology will not help them,” said Nusrat Ali.

BJP president’s hint for apology is an admission that the party thinks it cannot come to power without support of Muslims. His apology offer is a clear shift from the party and Narendra Modi’s earlier stand over Gujarat riot 2002.

Should Muslims also soften their approach towards BJP?

“It is true that without support of Muslims no party can come to power at the centre. All parties including BJP are realizing it. But BJP will not get votes of Muslims due to their attitude towards Muslims in the past, and due to their ambitions and plans and the way they have presented Modi as PM. In that context, they cannot get Muslim vote. Why should Muslims show softness when they are talking with ifs and buts and not hinting any change in their ideology and aims and ambitions which they disclose time to time? So they should not expect vote from Muslims, and Muslims cannot go to BJP,” said Nusrat Ali. —- Courtesy indiatomorrow.net