Advani to hit the road for 'integration'

BJP leader LK Advani today said he and party president Rajnath Singh would embark on a twin "National Integration Yatra" to consolidate the religious polarisation triggered by the attack on the Sankatmochan temple at Varanasi.

He blamed the UPA government for the attacks and accused it of "minorityism".

"The BJP has always believed that it was the Congress reaction to the Shah Bano judgment and the Ram Janmabhoomi issue that catapulted them as the ruling party in India for six years. For some time now the senior leaders have felt that an event of this sort will be a likely trigger for such a polarisation again," he said.

Advani said the anti-Bush feeling whipped up by the Left and the Samajwadi Party among the Muslim community was giving a "dangerous message" to the community.

"The Left used the Muslim anger, which surfaced after the cartoons of Prophet Mohammad were published, to meet their own ends," he said.

"We also condemn the cartoons, but here is a president of a great country who is visiting and the principal supporting party of the government does not allow him to address Parliament," he said.

He further added that "in the present global context, any political party which promotes minorityism for the sake of vote bank is dangerously contributing to religious fundamentalism and thereby causing a grave threat to national unity and security."

"Minorityism as a political gambit can have dangerous consequences and it sometimes becomes anti-national," he said and alleged that one consistent trend since the UPA came to power was its conviction about the loss of Muslim votes and its efforts to win them back.

He cited the reservations in Andhra Pradesh and Aligarh Muslims University, the alleged attempt by the ruling coalition to revive the Illegal Migrants Determination by Tribunal Act which was struck down by the Supreme Court, the creation of a separate ministry for minorities and the Muslim headcount in the armed forces, among examples of "minorityism" perpetrated by the UPA government.

Claiming that he had raised the issue of cross-border terrorism both with Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf and US President George W Bush, he mounted an offensive on Islamabad saying, "the impression all over the world that terrorism has abated ever since India and Pakistan commenced a dialogue is not correct. It is wrong."

Advani said senior leaders of the party had decided not to celebrate the festival of Holi this year and to visit the Sankat Mochan temple on March 16, to offer prayers there.

Asked if the Yatra was being targeted at the upcoming assembly polls in five states, he said, "we are a political party, we cannot disregard polls in five states."