BJP president M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday unveiled two sets of three-point initiatives to woo the minority community and to spread its support base. ‘‘Education, economic upliftment and empowerment. That’s what the BJP will give the the minorities. That’s what they need, not mere appeasements,’’ Naidu said here today. ‘‘At the same time, we will appeal to well-meaning people in all walks of life, especially those belonging to the minority community, to join the BJP. Even if they do not want to join the BJP, we will appeal to them to set up Atal Behari Vajpayee support committees. We will also be asking our party cadres to approach prominent members of the minority community and other intellectuals, invite them to join the BJP or to extend support to the BJP,’’ he added. He pointed out that the minorities did not need appeasements like ‘‘jumme ke din aadha din chhutti (half-day on Fridays)’’ that was being doled out to them by the Congress and other parties which claim to be secular. The BJP president claimed that there had been a shift in the mindset of the people, particularly among the minorities, about the BJP, which was reflected in leaders like Arif Mohammed Khan, former Rajya Sabha MP Mohammad Siddiqui or Christian priests of Kerala joining the BJP. Naidu said while the BJP still wanted the Ram temple to be built at Ram’s birthplace with the consent of the parties concerned, issues like this will not be made poll planks. ‘‘We will be fighting the elections only on the NDA agenda,’’ he added.
