Bengaluru, Sep 5 : The Karnataka BJP on Thursday accused the Congress in the state of misleading Muslims.

Speaking at a state-level workshop on the occasion of the BJP Minority Morcha membership drive held at the party's office in Bengaluru on Thursday, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, stated that the BJP prioritises protection of the nation's interests and gaining power was not the main objective.

'If this is understood, everything will be fine," he said and accused the Congress of misleading minorities, particularly Muslims.

'How many Muslim Chief Ministers the Congress party, which claims to support Muslims, has appointed'? Narayanaswamy questioned.

"Has the Congress party made a single Muslim their president? Have they paid attention to their condition? Have they visited their colonies?" he asked.

"They put two people in front like jokers. They give them power, and they rule over the entire community as if they have taken it on contract. The situation is similar for Dalits," Narayanaswamy opined.

"The BJP is not against anyone. The country must remain secure. The safety of the people is our priority," he said.

"To prevent others from interfering, Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir," he maintained.

"There is less trust among Muslims in the BJP. It is not their fault, nor is it the BJP's fault. If we understand who is poisoning us and why, there will be no conflict among us. If this is not understood, conflict is inevitable," he said.

"People say the BJP is anti-minority; that if the BJP comes to power, they will send Muslims to Pakistan or Afghanistan. Is any of this possible?" he asked.

"The BJP has been in power at the Centre for 11 years now. Why hasn't the BJP sent you to Pakistan yet?" he questioned.

"It is impossible to send anyone anywhere. It's not even possible to throw you into the Arabian Sea," Narayanaswamy said.

"Where there is less education, there is also less awareness. The poisonous ideas they have instilled in our minds are working. In this country, Dr. Ambedkar drafted the Constitution, providing opportunities to everyone beyond caste and religion. His vision was to build India by including everyone," Narayanaswamy underlined.

"On Wednesday, we launched the Karnataka membership drive under the leadership of state President, BY Vijayendra. Before that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National President JP Nadda, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched it in New Delhi. Already, in just one day, more than one crore memberships have been registered," he said.

"In the state, 5 lakh people have already become members," he added.

"Last time, there were 1.05 crore members in the state. This time, even if it is less, our target is 1.50 crore members," he noted.

"Previously, in many states, districts, and constituencies, our party was not strong. Our party is now stable. Adding 1.50 crore members will not be difficult," he analysed.

"Let's register 300 to 400 members at each booth. With 55,000 booths, there will be 2 crore members. Minorities do not mean just Muslims; it is not just Christians, Jains, or Buddhists. Minorities include everyone," he stressed.

State coordinator Alla Baksh Timmapur said, "There are 18 crore members in the country today. The BJP was born in 1980. Before that, there was the Jan Sangh. The party was not formed for comfort but for the glory of Bharat Mata."

"Membership registration is a democratic process. Ours is a living party. In other parties, there is no process for membership registration," he stated.

"Our Morcha has been given a target of 5 lakh members," he added.

Former Chairman of the Minority Commission, Abdul Azeem, said, "Other party leaders have anger and hatred towards the BJP. They objected to saying 'Bharat Mata ki Jai.' I responded by saying that for me, the nation is like a mother."

"Congress leaders do not understand all this," he said.

"The BJP has treated me with respect," he noted and appealed to make 50 lakh people from minority communities members of the party.

On this occasion, BJP Minority Morcha National President Jamal Siddiqui, National Coordinator Jojo Joseph, Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya, former President of the Morcha Syed Salam, state General Secretary Indrakumar Jain, and other state and district office bearers of the Minority Morcha were present. State Secretary of the Morcha, Jesel D'Souza, was present.

The state president of the BJP Minority Morcha, Anil Thomas, presided over the event.

/IANS