Beware of vote bank politics: Advani

BJP committed to development of Muslims

Only a day after announcing his decision to embark on a 33-day yatra covering 121 Lok Sabha constituencies, Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani yesterday asked Muslims not to be influenced by vote bank politics.

It was an unusual day at Advani's residence where hundreds of Muslims had gathered to express their political commitment to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Advani appeared in a green head-gear (Islamic symbol) and tried to dispel the impression about the BJP being anti-Muslim.

He particularly referred to the partition days to emphasise that the seed of distrust between Hindus and Muslims were sown in the past.

"The origin of all problems between Hindus and Muslims lies in the partition of the country. These grew when we had 3-4 wars with Pakistan. The most effective way of reducing tensions between Hindus and Muslims is by reducing tension between India and Pakistan," he told a group of 300 backward Muslims who joined the BJP here today.

Advani showered praise on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for initiating the peace process with Pakistan""a situation which would create social bonhomie within the country as well.

The Vajpayee government, he said, gave reservations to some backward communities among the Muslims in June last.

"For us every citizen of this country is a human being and his prosperity, education and development is of concern to us," he said.

"India is a great country and is 'shining' but everybody will 'feel good' about it only when the backwardness is removed," he said asking Muslims to concentrate on education and beware of "vote-bank peddlers."

That a change was visible in the attitude of Muslims by the manner in which the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to declare holiday on Friday was resented by Muslim leaders, he said.

"I am happy that it were the Muslims who first protested against a state government (UP) decision to declare holiday on Friday afternoons," he said adding the BJP was committed to bringing development of Muslims.

Later in the day, the BJP said the Congress was going to a ridiculous extent in reaction to the BJP agenda.

"Let the Congress name Sonia Gandhi's roadshow the Bharat Uday Yatra," countered BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan while referring to the contention that Advani was wrong to borrow the word "Bharat uday" from the government's "India Shining" campaign.

Mahajan said every political leader had a right to choose his style and mode of campaign. "Advani has done precisely that," he said while making it clear that the yatra would be spreading the message of development that had taken place in India. "There should not be any fear of trouble," he said.

In fact. today was the eventful day for the BJP as Advani tried to shed off his hardliner image by mingling with a group of Muslims, the bus converted into the chariot was brought to the party's headquarters and Bollywood actress Poonam Dhillon was inducted into the party.

Advani addressed a gathering of Muslims at his residence and said the easing of tension between India and Pakistan would also create social bonhomie in India.

Even as Advani donned a new role before Muslims at his residence, Mahajan brought Swaraj Majda chariot to the BJP's headquarters on which Advani is expected to complete his 33-day yatra.

Mahajan narrated the special features of the bus to a group of reporters from the rooftop of the bus where he was lifted through a hydraulic elevator.