BJP leaders were aware of my attending Muslim MPs meet: Naqvi

New Delhi, Dec 17 (UNI) BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today sought to end the controversy about his attending a meeting of Muslim MPs to discuss the Rajinder Sachar Committee report, saying the senior party leaders knew about it.

Mr Naqvi, member of the Rajya Sabha, said there was nothing wrong if he attended the meeting which discussed the status of Muslims because BJP was for empowerment of the community through eduction.

''I have put forth the party's view points in the meeting convened by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan effectively and I think that they have taken the explanations in the positive manner,'' Mr Naqvi told UNI.

He said the BJP was not opposed to the Sachar Committee report which had highlighted the failures of the successive Congress governments in uplifting the socio-economic conditions of the minority. The only objection the BJP had was about the terms of reference which asked the Commitee to look into the status of Muslims and not all other sections who were in the same socio-economic bracket.

Mr Naqvi said the Muslim BJP MPs were invited only after BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman took strong exception to Union Human Resources Minister Arjun Singh's decision to exclude the BJP for discusion regarding the reservation of OBCs.

It was wrong on the part of the government to exclude a major political party, he added.

The BJP was working for bringing Muslims to the educational and social mainstream instead of mere lip service, Mr Naqvi said.

''We are opposed to the Congress giving lollypops to Muslims at a time when they required wholesome food,'' he added.

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