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BJP must work hard to win over Muslims: Naqvi

Jamil Akhter in New Delhi

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi feels that his party has a lot to do to win the full confidence of Muslims.

''The BJP has to make hard and special efforts to win over the confidence of Muslims, particularly in Uttar Pradesh (where the party was being projected as anti-Muslim),'' he said, claiming that the attitude of the BJP leaders towards Muslims was, however, changing.

The former Union minister of state admitted that the BJP Muslims leaders were facing challenges from both inside and outside the party over issues related to the community. He, however, did not elaborate.

Claiming that the BJP was no more 'untouchable' to the vast population of Muslims in the country, he said the BJP was pursuing a policy of taking into confidence and bringing in its fold every section of the society, particularly the community.

Over raising of contentious issues by different RSS-affiliated bodies, he said the BJP leadership was the 'ultimate decider' of various issues and that the frontal organisations would not be able to prevail upon the BJP leadership in this regard.

Naqvi added that Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani himself was pursuing the policy of accommodating all, especially Muslims. He has always taken a strong stand whenever anti-minority postures were adopted by different allied organisations.

UNI

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