Partyline

Advani calls Muslims for direct talks

TIRUNELVELI: Bharatiya Janata Party BJP president L K Advani on Saturday invited the Muslim community to discuss their problems 8220;directly8221; with it and not view the party 8220;with the coloured glasses of our adversaries8221;.

Launching the party8217;s electioneering for the Lok Sabha polls at the AIADMK8217;s silver jubilee conference, he said BJP was committed to secularism, as enshrined in the Constitution. Former Congress Rajya Sabha member Rafiq Zakaria had told him that Muslims did not face any problem in Maharashtra, he said.

JD campaign

BANGALORE: The ruling Janata Dal JD in Karnataka will kick off its campaign for the coming Lok Sabha polls on January 15, when top leaders begin a statewide tour to galvanise the party machinery. Party state unit president, B L Shankar said all the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies will be covered during the nine-day tour. Gowda and deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lead one batch, and Union Minister C M Ibrahim and Patel the other.