BJP to make PM's 'Muslim first' remark a poll issue

Varanasi, Dec 13: Terming the recent 'Muslim first' remark of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as anti-national, the BJP today announced to make the entire episode a major poll issue for 2007 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttaranchal.

Interacting with Mediapersons here, former union minister and BJP national executive member Rajiv Pratap Rudy termed the recent remark by the PM at the National Development Council (NDC) meet as ''unconstitutional and communalisation of budget.'' ''By making such remarks, he has communalised the process of distribution of national resources, which could result in second partition of the country on religious lines,'' he noted.

Over the clarifications by the PM's office on the entire matter, Mr Rudy said the PMO does not comprise officials, who would leave ambiguities in the final draft of the PM's speech to Chief Minister of states at an important meet like NDC.

''We will not only make the entire matter a poll issue for the coming assembly elections, but also launch a national movement to enlighten the people about this latest mechanism of minority appeasement of the UPA government.'' Mr Rudy, training his guns at AICC president Sonia Gandhi said ''it seems from the PM's remarks he was physically at the NDC meet but mentally present at 10 Janpath.'' The BJP leader suspected the 'hand of left' in the entire matter, as the CPI(M) led government in West Bengal, a few months back had recommended 15 per cent share for minorities in resources of all state government departments.

''It is likely the PM's first right to Muslims over national resources remark was influenced by the leftists,'' Mr Rudy alleged.

The former union minister also slammed the UPA government for the Indo-US nuclear deal and added that December 18 -- when the deal will be finally signed by President George W Bush -- will be a black day in India's history. ''The Indo-US nuke deal is a sellout, which will hamper the country's interests in the long run.'' Mr Rudy also criticised the government on the Afzal issue saying by entertaining clemency petition, the government had become party to efforts of human rights activists to save the prime accused of December 13, 2001 Parliament attack facing capital punishment.

UNI