BJP against terrorism not Muslims: Advani

Sitapur, Apr 20 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani today said his party was not anti-Muslim, but would never support those behind terrorism in the country.

''Neither BJP is communal nor anti-Muslim. We do not have any personal grudge against the community. But, we will never support those encouraging terrorism,'' Mr Advani said addressing an election meeting here.

''BJP has deep respect for the community. Both Muslims and Hindus are pots of the same clay. If the party would have been anti-Muslim, it would have never supported Dr A P J Abdul Kalam for the president's post,'' he underlined.

Terming Uttar Pradesh as 'Bimaar Pradesh', the BJP leader alleged ''Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had only given 'goonda raj', poverty and corruption to the people. He has always cheated the common man.'' ''So if you aspire for change, vote BJP and accept Kalyan Singh as the next CM,'' he asserted.

''Atal Behari Vajpayee was the best PM ever. One will take ages to match him. It is due to his great works that BJP is in power in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Rajasthan and several other states,'' he observed.

He said, ''Congress has lost its sheen in UP. One is sure that it will also lose the ongoing state poll after being badly defeated in the MCD election in New Delhi.'' UNI