New Delhi, Apr 19 (IANS): All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) spokesperson and Welfare Party of India leader Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas has called on Muslims to support the INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha elections.

"Muslims should save democracy, they should uphold secularism, and that is why they should support the INDI Alliance," he said on Thursday.

Speaking to IANS, Ilyas said the Congress has made a lot of mistakes, "but now it seems they are trying to learn from them. If they implement what they have mentioned in their manifesto, there will be change".

Urging secular parties to publicly endorse the issues of the Muslim community, the AIMPLB spokesperson said that political parties "often take a backstep when it comes to Babri Masjid issue or any other Muslim issues".

Earlier addressing a media briefing on the 14th foundation day of the Welfare Party of India, he said: "We feel that the upcoming parliament election is very crucial in deciding whether the democracy will prevail or the country will drift towards autocracy..."

Ilyas further said that his party has decided to contest on a "limited number of seats despite operations spreads over ten different states across the country".

"We are fielding our candidates in only four constituencies -- Murshidabad and Jangipur in West Bengal, Dhule in Maharashtra and Domariyaganj in Uttar Pradesh. In the remaining 539 constituencies, we will extend our support to the INDI Alliance...we consider them as the only alternative to save democracy, protect constitutional rights and save the nation and its secular values," he added.

Ilyas is the father of former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid.