Muslims Living in Dark, Need Modi’s Light of Development: BJP’s Lone Muslim Candidate on 1st List

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) lone Muslim candidate on the first list of Lok Sabha candidates, M Abdul Salam, for Kerala’s Mallapuram seat is on a mission.

“My primary task is to shine the light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the dark minds of Muslim minorities. I want to make them realise that they have been living in the darkness created around them. PM Modi has spent a large amount of time and money for development of Muslims and Christians," he told News18.

Salam, the former vice-chancellor of Calicut University (CU), is contesting for the second time on a BJP ticket. His electoral debut was in 2021, when he was a BJP candidate from Tirur in Mallapuram in the Kerala assembly polls. He finished third with 9,097 votes. Before serving as vice-chancellor of the Calicut University, Salam has been a professor and head of the department of agronomy at the Kerala Agricultural University.

He will contest from the communally volatile Mallapuram, which has, over several decades, seen bloodshed due to clashes between the cadres of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the now-banned terror outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).

‘MUSLIMS LIVING IN CREATED DARKNESS; SAFEST IN INDIA’

Salam says that people in the region have been misled over the years and have been living in darkness, while many are living in ‘created darkness.’

“The Muslims have a strict religious network in the area and they are guided by the madrasas. They are living in a different time. My aim is to go with a powerful lamp and shine the light of Modi and development in their minds and hearts," he said.

On being selected as the lone Muslim candidate so far, Salam feels that it is important for him to be the voice of minorities. “Minorities are the safest in India. Indian Muslims have the safest haven in India, more than the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have the maximum freedom to do what they want. They can express, expand their religion and have democratic freedom," he said, blaming the Opposition’s INDI Alliance for creating false propaganda.

Salam added that the INDI Alliance has been stopped from “looting public money" as they have not been in governance for 10 years, while Modi was in power. “They are unable to resist their hunger to grab public money, so they are planning this propaganda against the BJP and Muslims," he said.

‘MODI IS CANDIDATE ON EVERY SEAT’

When asked what would be the focus of the BJP in Kerala, the former VC said that there is a huge Modi phenomenon and undercurrent in favour of the party. Salam said that the revolution created by Modi in terms of eradicating poverty, industrial, education, tourism and environmental revolution is winning hearts.

Kerala has seen a severe spike in corruption, lawlessness, increased activity of terrorist groups and the BJP can put a stop to it, he said. “Modi is contesting from all Lok Sabha seats in the country. I would go one step ahead and say those who are contesting are mere representatives, the votes the candidates get are just byproducts of people’s love for Modi," he said.

THE MODI IMPACT

So why did he shift from being an educationist to a politician? “I have never even said ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ or participated in strikes during my career. But then I saw the impact Modi was making since 2009. He is a PM who has made such a big impact, who has a mission, vision and powerful action. I could not resist myself," he explained.

“I mentally joined the BJP in 2014, but officially in 2019, with the help of present Goa Governor Sreedharan Pillai. I told Mr. Pillai I was joining the party for Modi, not for the BJP. Such has been the impact of the leader on me," he told News18.

On his chances in the election, Salam said his mantra would be: “Modi mantra, Modi model of governance and development and Modi’s model of Muslim inclusivity."