Asking them to come out of the 'fear psychosis', Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Wednesday, appealed to Muslims to 'think and decide' for themselves while voting in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
"Get out of the fear that is dividing the nation and vote for a government that would not allow any community to live in fear," he said addressing a conference organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party's minority cell.
"India is at a turning point and we want to improve the well-being of the people," he said. The recent assembly elections showed that roads, power and water were the main issues.
Highlighting the various steps taken by his government in improve infrastructure, increase foodgrains production and in shoring up foreign exchange reserves, Vajpayee said there is a need to inform the people that 'India is on the right path and growing strong'.
"Our farmers worked hard to produce surplus foodgrains and from a time when it used to be imported from the US, today we are exporting foodgrains," he said.
"There is nothing that cannot be solved through dialogue," he said and referred to the conduct of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the improvement of ties with Pakistan.
The NDA government at the Centre has always been extending a helping hand to all state governments and taking everyone along while the Congress is still unable to forge alliances since other opposition parties have burnt their fingers in the past.
He wondered why the BJP was dubbed a communal party. "If the Muslim League can support the Congress, then why the opposition to the Hindu Mahasabha? Why have a different yardstick to measure communalism?"