Mumbai, Oct 28 (The Indian Expresss): Pointing out that the BJP had won the Uttar Pradesh elections “despite demonetisation woes being the maximum then”, BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy on Friday said the Muslims voted for them because Muslim women felt that only the BJP could save them from “triple talaq.”

Swamy was speaking at the Mumbai launch of Professor R Vaidyanathan’s book “Black Money and Tax Havens”.

“We (the BJP) were told that we will lose 125 seats, as we did not have Muslim candidates there (in UP),” he said adding that they won more than 80 seats “because Muslim woman felt that only we could save them from triple talaq.”

The BJP leader added: “Earlier, Hindus were divided and the minority was united but now, the opposite is happening. I predict we will also win the Gujarat elections.”

Swamy said while “good economic performance is a sufficient condition” but an emotional connect is also required “which in our case is social transformation through Hindutva.”

Pointing out that the only reason why he filed a petition seeking probe into the death of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s wife Sunanda Pushkar was to fight black money. He said: “Her death took place as she was about to expose the IPL and black money nexus.”

He added that potholes across the country’s roads were a result of “corruption”. “It is not like we don’t make good roads. We have made them in countries like Malaysia and Iraq,” he said.

Speaking about black money, Swamy said while Vaidyanathan’s book explained the subject, it does not mention “the share of the President of Indian National Congress party Sonia Gandhi and former finance minister P hidambaram’s black money”.

“For all that is said against the BJP, not a single minister from the party can be named by the Congress who is corrupt… that is why certain things ares happening. Chidambaram is only outside the doors of Tihar jail,” said Swamy, adding that several family reunions would be taking place inside Tihar jail from the Congress party.