By Shashi Bhushan

New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is launching a massive training programme for its workers from the minority communities.

The national President of BJP's Minority Morcha, Haji Jamal Siddiqui, told IANS that it is necessary for the workers to get trained to defend their association with the party besides explaining the contributions made by the Muslims to the party since it was founded.

The workers will be also trained to explain the initiatives taken by the Narendra Modi-led government in the last six years for the welfare of the minorities.

According to Siddiqui, office-bearers of the party's Minority Morcha, from the block to the national level, will be trained.

"In the first phase, national office-bearers and state unit office-bearers will be trained. Later, office-bearers at the district and block level will be trained," he said.

Siddiqui added that many of the workers from the present generation do not know about the contributions made by Sikander Bakht, Arif Beg and others for the party.

"These senior leaders were one of the founders of BJP and Bakht Saab was the founding national general secretary of the party. Beg Saab was also one of the prominent faces in the party from the Muslim community," he said.

Siddiqui said that lots of misconception have been created about the BJP and Muslims by the oppsoition, which must be dispelled. "Muslims were and are key part of the BJP and leaders from the minority community played an important role in the growth and expansion of the party," he said.

The BJP leader said that the workers will be explained about the welfare schemes of the Modi government so that they can talk about them in the community.

"Several welfare schemes for the progress of Muslims have been implemented. But due to lack of awareness, people or even many of our workers do not know about them. During the training programme, they will be explained about these schemes," he said.

He further stated that the Modi government is working to end the differences between different communities. "Politics of development has begun and it will benefit Muslims the most," he said.

Siddiqui also informed that the Minority Morcha has started compiling data of members from minority communities to find out their exact numbers in the party.