Published On:Wednesday 20 June 2012
BJP announced a secular and liberal candidate for PM's post, bending towards Nitish Kumar's demands
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| Iqbal Thomas Aiyer Nariyal Paniwala |
WAR FOR ELECTIONS IN 2014: NEWS IN BRIEF - POLITICS
Leaders found Tamil Nadu based party worker Iqbal Thomas Aiyer Nariyal Paniwala most secular and liberal candidate
Bending towards Nitish Kumar's demand that NDA's Prime Minister candidate in 2014 elections should be secular and liberal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that its candidate for Prime Minister's post would not be Narendra Modi and it would be a Tamil Nadu based active party worker Iqbal Thomas Aiyer Nariyal Paniwala.
"Actually, earlier I was thinking about Sanjay Joshi but these RSS guys sent him for Adivasi raksha work. So finally I came to conclusion that Iqbal Thomas Aiyer Nariyal Paniwala would be best to represent the renewed face of BJP which is more secular and liberal," said Nitin Gadkari, party President.Iqbal Thomas Aiyer Nariyal Paniwala is an active BJP worker in Tamil Nadu and helped Jayalalitha to win the recent assembly elections. However, he was largely ignored as aam party worker.
"We are not like people who just go to aam aadmi's house and eat lavishly in spite of high food prices," said Nitin Gadkari.
He said "We shall promote our aam party candidate as Prime Minister."
Iqbal Thomas Aiyer Nariyal Paniwala said "I am happy as Nitin Saar considered me as a most secular and liberal and fully eligible for PM's post."
While India Satire correspondent asked him how can he say himself as a secular and liberal he said "My papa was Aiyer while mumma was Muslim and both were hardcore Congress supporters and therefore Pappa converted into Catholic while Mumma listening to speeches of great Congress leaders like Diggyji forced my name to put as Iqbal. However, I am ardent supporter of BJP and my costumes which involves wearing only a lungi is kind of symbol of liberal nature."