Laxman’s appeal to muslims irks sena

MUMBAI, SEPT 4: The BJP’s ally for over a decade, the Shiv Sena, has expressed reservations on new BJP President Bangaru Laxman’s call to partymen to reach out to Muslims.

Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, in an indirect reference to BJP, recently said in the party mouth-piece Saamna: “What can be done if Hindutva propagating parties are adopting the policy of embracing Muslims. Congress for all these years had wooed the Muslims and now these pro-Hindutva political parties are following the same path.”

Laxman, in his maiden address at the two-day national council of BJP at Nagpur recently had stated that there was need for the party to make sustained efforts to reach out to Muslims and weaken the influence on their minds of the sustained negative propaganda by adversaries.

Laxman’s appeal is seen as BJP’s attempt to win over the Muslim electorate.