BJP against reservation on religious lines: Advani

Jaipur, May 3: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani today stressed that his party is against any reservation on the basis of religion.

''BJP will protest againt any reservation on religious basis. But our party's stand on the reservation issue will emerge only after a consensus and when the UPA government comes out with its policy,'' Mr Advani said, while addressing a press conference here on the third day of his Bharat Suraksha Yatra in the state.

Mr Advani accused the Congress party of pursuing the politics of minorityism, only with the aim of luring the 'minority vote'.

The Congress Party is dividing the nation by harping on the minority protection just as the British rulers did before independence, he added.

He also questioned the need to set up the Sacchar Committee to look into minority sufferings even after 58 years of independence.

Ironically, he said, the Congress ruled the most number of years in that period.

Dispelling any rumours of any internal turbulence in the BJP, Mr Advani said: ''BJP has seen more turbulent times than this. Earlier we were not even considered a proper opposition party, now BJP's role is far more important than ever. If there's a trial of strength between the BJP and UPA today, I am sure BJP will win hands down.'' ''Our party believes 'dissent is not a crime' but indiscipline will not be tolerated,'' he noted.

However, he refrained from commenting on expelled leader Uma Bharti's new party Bharatiya Janshakti.

About the office-of-profit controversy, he said, the rationale and logic behind Article 102-103 in terms of MPs, should not be undermined by amending these articles.

On the Quattrocchi issue in the Bofors case, he asked, ''how could he siphon away the Bofors' money from India and one who publicly condemned the country's judicial system?'' The UPA government is not only following the concept of globalisation of finances but corruption too, he added.

UNI

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