Advani flays UPA's 'minority appeasement policies'

Ahmadabad, Apr 7 (UNI) Criticising the ''minority appeasement policies'' of the UPA government, senior BJP leader L K Advani today said the main objective of his ''Bharat Suraksha Yatra'' was to make people aware of the ''impending dangers'' of such policies and ''save the country from another partition''.

Citing the example of President A P J Abdul Kalam while addressing a public rally here last evening, Mr Advani said, ''Even without any reservation there are equal opportunities for everyone in this country''.

He criticised the headcount of Muslims in the armed forces, saying, ''Such exercises will harm the Muslims and not benefit them.'' Mr Advani said former Home Minister Sardar Patel had suggested that reservation should only be for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and not be based on religion. The then Prime Minister Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru had also agreed to Mr Patel's contention, he added.

The idea of carrying such a census had its roots in a book titled ''Khaki and ethnic violence in India'', written by a US citizen of Indian origin, he said, adding, ''If India is secular why is it not reflected in the Army?'' Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi criticised the UPA Government for the repeal of POTA, and said it had taken away a good weapon from the law enforcing agencies.

However referring to the Justice Bannerjee Report, constituted by the Railway Ministry, Mr Modi said it was meant to protect the conspirators of the carnage.

UNI MP SBJ VJ VP0435