RAJNATH says BJP IS ‘not ANTI-MINORITY’
The BJP on Saturday tried to play the secular card with party president Rajnath Singh me-eting a group of Mus-lim leaders at the party headquarters. The new-ly-elected BJP chief, in an attempt to reach out to the minority community, said the BJP “is not anti-minority” and that “branding the BJP as an anti-Muslim outfit is a conspiracy of rival outfits.” He ad-ded: “BJP is not a party which creates enmity between Hindus and Muslims.
” By meeting the Muslim leaders, the BJP chief sent out a clear signal that the party was not going all out on the Hindutva issue, as demanded by the Sangh. The party will also focus on strengthening its minorities cell. Once Mr Singh constitutes his team, more meeting with the minority communities would be org-anised, sources said. The party will also fo-cus on dalits and Chris-tians and meetings with leaders of these communities are being planned, sources said.
Earlier on Saturday, the party’s Muslim fa-ce, Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, came out in support of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Mo-di, saying he was a “towering symbol of nationalism and has national appeal”.
During the 2007 Guj-arat polls, Mr Modi had virtually barred BJP Muslim leaders from campaigning. With the chorus growing to make him the BJP’s face for PM, Mr Modi changed tack and invited saffron Muslim leaders to campaign for him during the recently-held Assembly polls.
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