Bangaru takes another step closer to Muslims

Though the Muslims were conspicuous by their absence at the meeting in the city whose 15 per cent population is Muslim, Laxman was bent upon taking his message to the masses. “I have nothing to offer our Muslim brethren but want to remind them that they should shun misconceptions like — there would be communal clashes if the BJP was voted to power, second-class citizenship for them and intervention in religious acts — spread by our opponents. Now there are no communal clashes and all confusion has been removed from the minds of Muslims,” he said.

It was Laxman’s first encounter with the public after he assumed command of the BJP, and going by the crowd, his attempt could be termed a successful one. This could be a cause of concern for the rival parties, particularly the Samajwadi Party, which has proclaimed itself as the champion of the cause of Muslims, and the pro-Dalit BSP. “A strategy to associate Muslims with the party will be given the final shape during the working committee meeting of the party later this month,” Laxman pointed out.

“Muslims are now saying openly that Atalji is a good man, and if he is such, why not the party he is leading,” asked the new BJP chief while urging partymen to work in their respective areas towards winning the hearts of the Muslims.

In his hour-long speech, the BJP chief evaded a reference to the controversial Ayodhya temple issue, and sought to justify his approach by saying that the people had given the mandate to the Vajpayee-led coalition on an agenda which said nothing on sensitive issues including the temple controversy.

“We are bound to follow the agenda on which we have been given the mandate. The temple issue is in court and the party was bound to follow its verdict,” he told mediapersons before the meeting.

Lauding the performance of the Vajpayee Government at the Centre, Laxman said the country had won international acclaim, pointing out that which earlier no country backed “our demand for a seat in the Security Council in the UN, now a number of countries are pursuing our demand”.

Laxman said the Opposition had now got no issue and all it did was react to the statements of BJP leaders. Laxman was accompanied on the dais by Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta, state BJP chief Kalraj Mishra, Urban Development Minister Lalji Tandon and several prominent leaders.