I appreciate Modi but secularism is must: Jagan

Hyderabad, Sept 30: YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy Monday said he appreciate BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as an administrator but advised him to stop creating insecurity in the minds of Muslims, saying this will lead to internal terrorism.

Stating that he respects the Gujarat chief minister as an administrator, Jaganmohan Reddy urged him not to create insecurity in the minds of people just because they belong to another religion.

"Since I appreciate Modi as an administrator, I want him to change this entire system and bring every party on to the secular platform in the interest of this country. Otherwise we will be creating insecurity in the minds and hearts of these people so much that we will be creating internal terrorism within the country, forget about fighting the enemies outside the borders," he told reporters here.

Jagan, as the MP from Kadapa is popularly known, was addressing his first press conference after his release from jail after 16 months in a corruption case.

"We continue to be secular. I am not like Chandrababu Naidu who takes any kind of U-turns. We are secular and we are committed to being secular," he said when asked which formation his party would support in New Delhi after the 2014 election.

"When it comes to Narendra Modi, as an administrator I have appreciation for him but the fact is that whether it is Muslim, Christian or Hindu, all of us born here, all of us will continue to live here and all of us will die here.

"Why I am saying this because I am from this generation. What I want is peace and development. When everybody who is born here, who is going to live here and who is going to die here, then why do you create insecurity in the minds of these people just because they are born in another religion?

"Religion is something personal. Why should religion be politicized," he asked.

"I want Modi to bring about such a change where every party in this country fights on a secular platform. I want to see India that respects everybody as a person," he added.

When a reporter asked if he would support the Congress-led United Progressive Allaince (UPA), Jagan said he would do what other secular parties would do.

"There are other secular parties like Communists and Janta Dal-U. What other secular parties like them would do, I would also do the same. Don't be in a hurry. I have my options."

Rubbishing the Telugu Desam Party's allegation that he had a secret deal with the Congress that got him bail, Jagan said if this was true, he would not have gone to prison.

He pointed out that he got bail after the Supreme Court set a timeframe for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the probe. He said the CBI was bound to follow the apex court's orders.

He accused the TDP of being hand in glove with the Congress.

"The bail which should have been given in three months time was dragged to 16 months and you people still say such words which hurt me," he added.

IANS