The BJP started a nationwide outreach campaign on Tuesday, specifically targeting economically poorer Muslim families prior to Eid.
The initiative has been interpreted across the board as an attempt by the party to consolidate support from the community, especially in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections to be held later this year.
Under the 'Saugat-e-Modi' programme, nearly 32 lakh poor Muslims nationwide will be given special Eid kits. The initiative was launched in southeast Delhi's Nizamuddin under BJP president JP Nadda's leadership.
Every kit is provided with different things, such as food items like vermicelli, dates, sugar, and dry fruits. Women's kits will also have fabric for suits, while men's kits will have kurta-pyjamas. The approximate cost of every package is between ₹500 to ₹600, as per a report by news agency ANI.
Jamal Siddiqui, national president of the BJP Minority Morcha, who led the campaign, said that the same kits will be given to poor members of other minority communities during their respective festivals under the same scheme next month.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is always claiming that he is the protector of 140 crore Indians and he celebrates all the festivals. He celebrates Christmas, Easter, Baisakhi and sends 'chadar' for the offering at Nizamuddin Dargah and Ajmer Sharif," said Siddiqui to PTI.
Building on the goal of the campaign, he continued, "So we thought that we will provide kits with food to our poor brothers and sisters. Each kit will also contain clothes for our sisters."
32,000 Minority Morcha workers as part of outreach will work with 32,000 mosques across the country to take the special kits directly to the recipients. The drive will also be carried out during other festivals like Good Friday, Easter, and Nowruz so that everyone is covered. Eid Milan celebrations will also be arranged at the district level.
"The program was rolled out in Delhi and other states in the nation today. We have also targeted that each of our karyakartas (workers) must reach a minimum of 100 people with Saugat-e-Modi kits under the program, wish Eid Mubarak on behalf of Prime Minister," Siddiqui added.
The announcement is made months ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls, which are likely to be held in October-November. Bihar has 243 Assembly seats and is ruled by the NDA alliance comprising BJP, Janata Dal (United) of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and other local parties.
In the last 2020 elections, the NDA won 125 seats, and the opposition Mahagathbandhan, comprising the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), won 110 seats. With the elections nearing, this outreach program is likely to contribute to the political dynamics in the state.
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