Before Modi’s visit,ads in Patna dailies on Gujarat Muslims facts

About 48 hours before Narendra Modi lands in Patna to attend the BJP National Executive meet, the Gujarat Government today published one-page ad in Patna newspapers, claiming Muslims in the land of Modi are prosperous and enjoying better life.

Modi along with other BJP leaders including L K Advani and BJP president Nitin Gadkari is attending the two-day BJP meet beginning here from June 11. The Bihar CM has accorded state guest status to Modi and Advani. Besides, JDU is hosting a dinner party for Modi, Advani and all 250-odd BJP National Executive members at the CM’s official residence.

The title of the ad is: Muslims in Gujarat enjoy better education, employment opportunities, financial stability, health facilities, infrastructure. It gives, under the heading of Indisputable facts about Muslims in Gujarat, some facts and figures about Muslims’ literacy, education, employment, health and economy.

The ad says 73.5% of Muslims in Gujarat are literate, much higher than the national average (59.1%)and higher than the overall average in Gujarat (69.1%). The Gujarat government further claims that Muslims’ employment in government sector is higher than many states. In Gujarat it is 5.4% but in West Bengal it is just 2.1% and in Delhi 3.2%. The ad did not give data about Bihar. Moreover, Muslims in Gujarat, the ad says, are far ahead of the community members in other states when it comes to bank deposits, access to education and medical facilities and infant mortality rate.

The ad carries two pictures wherein Muslim girls and children are shown learning. In one picture small boys and girls are reading a religious book in a madrasa. In another some Muslim girls are learning computer. As the ad is about Muslims’ progress in Gujarat one can expect the pictures are also from the state. ButThe picture of young Muslim girls learning computer is not from Gujarat. Neither the girls are Gujarati, nor the picture was shot in Gujarat. In fact, it is a picture of Azamgarh Shibli College girls attending a computer class in the college campus.

The ad has published in various dailies including Roznama Rashtriya Sahara and Pindar (Urdu), Hindustan (Hindi), Times of India and Hindustan Times (English).

Gujarat Muslims more prosperous

The Muslims in BJP-ruled Gujarat were ‘prosperous’ in comparison to their brethrens in the Left Front ruled West Bengal, the BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed.

“The growth rate of Muslims in terms of their prosperity is the highest in Gujarat and the poorest in West Bengal being lorded by the ‘secular’ forces,” he said.

Prasad made the remark in defence of Modi in reply to a question about the jitters among the minority community about the latter’s visit to Bihar to attend the BJP national executive.

“Modi will attend the two-day national executive and address a rally at the historic Gandhi Maidan on June 13,” Prasad said.