Rashtriya 'Shia' Samaj vows to support Modi in Lok-Sabha elections
What's the story
Shia community under the banner of RSS (Rashtriya Shia Samaj) has decided to support Narendra Modi as BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
"We are also in favor of the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya," Shias' RSS head Bukkal Nawab, who is also a BJP MLC, said.
He added no other political party cared for Shia Muslims.
Hail BJP!
Many Shia leaders given respectable positions by BJP: Nawab
Nawab said, "It was former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who helped (in) lifting a 20-year-old ban on Shia processions in Lucknow."
He added that various Shia leaders like Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, state minister Mohsin Raza, National Commission of Minorities Chairman Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi, UP Minority Commission Chairman Haider Abbas have been given respectable positions by the BJP government.
SP, BSP regime
Nawab alleges Shias harassed during SP, BSP regime in UP
Nawab alleged that in previous regimes of the BSP and the SP in Uttar Pradesh, Shia Muslims, who form about 18% of the Muslim populations, were subjected to "harassment" and he himself was put in jail by the Mayawati government.
"In SP regime, its leader Mohammad Azam Khan did all possible things to repress the Shia community," he said.
Rashtriya 'Shia' Samaj
RSS organizes large-scale bhandara during Bada Mangal
Rashtriya Shia Samaj or RSS was conceptualized in 2016 and different public-oriented programmes were started under its banner last year.
On one of the "Bada Mangal" day (a Tuesday observed as the day of worship to Lord Hanuman), RSS organizes a large-scale bhandara (community feast) besides engaging in activities, which it claims, was for betterment and welfare of the people.
SP to BJP
Nawab resigned from SP in 2017 and joined BJP
Nawab said the abbreviation RSS, generally associated with the Hindu nationalist group, has a different "avatar" here.
In 2017, Nawab, who was a SP MLC resigned to pave the way for CM Adityanath and deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma to enter the state Legislative Council.
He later joined BJP and was given a legislative council ticket by the party in April.