Muslims not against Ram temple: Naqvi

CHENNAI, June 7: Union minister of state for information and broadcasting Mukhthar Abbas Naqvi said here today Muslims in the country were n...

CHENNAI, June 7: Union minister of state for information and broadcasting Mukhthar Abbas Naqvi said here today Muslims in the country were not against construction of a Ram temple at the disputed structure at Ayodhya, pre-fabricated or otherwise.

Talking to select media representatives, Naqvi, the only Muslim to be elected on a BJP ticket to the Lok Sabha from the Muslim dominated constituency of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, said the Muslims were not interested in a mosque or a temple at the disputed structure. "They are interested in equality in society rather than a mosque or temple," he said.

He said neither the BJP or the RSS had spoken about the temple for the past one year. Only the "so-called secular parties" were talking about the temple to get political mileage out of it, he alleged.

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"Muslims are not against the Ram temple at Ayodhya. But some political parties are trying to mislead them on the issue," he said.

He said there had been a perceptional change of attitude of the Muslims towards theBJP, after it formed a government at the Centre.

Naqvi said Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir wanted peace in the State, but some terrorists backed by the ISI were attempting to disturb communal harmony in the State. People of India and Pakistan want a good neighbourly relationship, but Pakistani leaders were indulging in a propaganda against India, he alleged.

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