Delhi polls: Imam Bukhari appeals Muslims to support AAP to protect country from 'divisive forces'

New Delhi, Feb 6: With less than 24 hours left before the onset of the big day, the Jama Masjid's Shahi Imam, Syed Ahmed Bukhari has appealed Muslims to vote for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi Assembly election.

Reportedly, while addressing a gathering after the Friday meet, Imam exhorted the Muslims to support the rookie party for the sake of secular government in Delhi.

Lashing out at the Saffron party, Imam said, "BJP ever since it came in power at the centre is dividing the country on religious lines. AAP is a secular party and Muslims for their betterment should vote for it."

Meanwhile, AAP has rejected the support.

Earlier in run up to Lok Sabha election, Shahi Imam had supported Congress while his younger brother Yahya Bukhari had pronounced that he will vote for BJP's rival, AAP in Delhi.

Over 1.33 crore electorate will decide the fate of 673 candidates in the fray for the Delhi Assembly elections on Saturday. Polling will take place at 12,177 polling stations, of which 714 have been identified as "critical".
Of these, 191 are "highly critical". The BJP, which is out of power in Delhi for the last 16 years, made a gamble by bringing in former Team Anna member Kiran Bedi into the party and made her its Chief Ministerial candidate which is said to have triggered discontent among the party leaders and rank and file.

The BJP strategy has been countered by Kejriwal-led AAP which has put up a spirited campaign in a bid to stop the Modi juggernaut that has been on a roll ever since the Lok Sabha election victory in May last year.

BJP leaders Amit Shah and union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley have dismissed projections that the Delhi election is a referendum on the Modi government's performance, a statement seen by critics as an effort to shield the Prime Minister from any criticism.

OneIndia

(With inputs from PTI)