Equal status for all minorities: Vajpayee

PUNE, February 27: BJP's prime ministerial candidate Atal Behari Vajpayee on Thursday charged the Congress and its allies of making delibera...

PUNE, February 27: BJP8217;s prime ministerial candidate Atal Behari Vajpayee on Thursday charged the Congress and its allies of making deliberate attempts to create 8220;fear8221; among the minority communities by branding the BJP as anti-Muslim. He called upon the Muslims to support the BJP in its bid to secure an 8220;absolute majority8221; at the 12th Lok Sabha.

8220;Darna hai to sirf Khuda se daro8221; Be afraid of god and no one else, Vajpayee said, asserting that all minorites including Muslims would be accorded equal status during the saffron rule. Once the BJP government came to power the promise of equal status would be implemented without fail, he added.

Addressing a mammoth public rally here at the Fergusson College grounds in support independent candidate Suresh Kalmadi, he minced no words in criticising Congress efforts to create a rift between BJP and the Muslims and Dalits. 8220;In fact they Congress have treated Muslims as a vote bank. They have never treated Muslims as human beings. For them a Muslim wasnothing more than a vote. Providing educational facilities to Muslims was deliberately neglected,8221; he said. He further appealed to Muslims 8220;You have experienced them for past 40 years. For once, give us the opportunity. We assure to provide free education to women8221;.

Vajpayee pooh-poohed the Congress claim of providing a stable government saying, 8220;They are contemplating a tie-up with the United Front once again. The country has learned through experience that post-poll alliances do not last long8221;.

In contrast, he pointed out that the BJP had joined hands with like-minded parties before the polls and hence there was every guarantee that they would be able to complete the full five-year term. He, however, emphasised that the BJP and its allies need to secure an 8220;absolute majority8221;.

8220;We should not fall short of the number. Please elect us with a thumping majority. We have waited for 40 years. For us, every vote is importan,8221; he added.