BJP to Opposition: Don't communalise law & order issues

The BJP on Thursday said its government was committed to protecting the minorities but warned the Opposition parties against giving communal colour to routine law and order incidents. "The BJP wishes to reiterate that protection of the rights of the minorities is the fundamental duty of any government. It indeed is the test of any civilised society.

Those indulging in communal violence must be punished, irrespective of their affiliations. But routine incidents involving members of any community should not be given a communal colour," BJP spokesperson M. Venkaiah Naidu told a news conference on Thursday.

"Our opponents do not seem to realise that in seeking to discredit our party and the government with their false propaganda, they are actually helping to discredit India in the international community," he said. The BJP general secretary also expressed concern at the repeated statements of Mr John Dayal, spokesperson of the All India Catholic Union, making "allegations of a political nature" against the BJP and the Vajpayee government.

"It is well-known that Mr Dayal is the editor of Mid-Day with open sympathy for the Congress. We have no quarrel with any newspaper or its editor having political leanings towards our adversaries. After all, it is a basic democratic freedom of the press and the individual editor concerned.

But we are baffled why Mr Dayal should be using the cover of a religious organisation to carry on his tirade against us. We appeal to All India Catholic Union not to allow itself be used for political purposes," he said.

"If you want to fight us, come out in the open and fight us politically. Why use the cover of religion? It is not our fault that the Opposition parties have lost successive elections. They should take the next chance, go to the people and educate them," Mr Naidu added.
 

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