COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

No compromise on common civil code: Advani

Bharatiya Janata Party president Lal Kishinchand Advani today said his party would not compromise on the common civil code.

''If the BJP is voted to power, not only Muslim law, even Hindu, Christian and other laws would be changed suitably within the constitutional framework,'' he told the media in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. He said the BJP would provide equal rights to all and would not appease any section of the people.

Advani said some of the parties were shedding crocodile tears to garner the minority votes. However, there was a sea change in the attitude of the minorities towards the BJP, he said. ''They strongly feel that the BJP should be given a chance at the Centre.''

He said the party was confident of making a significant breakthrough in the southern states.

He visited Kerala first to erase the ''fallacy that the BJP was basically a northern party''. The party has now strong roots in the south, thanks to the systematic efforts made by the leaders in the region, he said.

Advani denied having said that the controversial Kasi and Mathura issues would continue to be in the party's agenda for the coming Lok Sabha poll.

Referring to media reports in this regard, Advani said he was misquoted.

''These issues were never in the party agenda. The BJP would not dilute its policies on the Ayodhya issue and uniform civil code,'' he added.

Asserting that the United Front would be wiped out in the ensuing election, Advani told the media in Vijayawada yesterday that the real contest would be between the Congress and the BJP. The other four or five contestants would not matter at all, he added.

As for the Congress, he said the party would not have been in such a desperate situation had it respected the people's verdict and sat in the opposition.

Asked about the recent defections from the Congress to the BJP, he said, ''I am worried. It does not make me happy.''

Agreeing with senior party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani said the new entrants's credentials would be thoroughly checked before they get a berth in the BJP.

EARLIER REPORTS:
BJP may get five seats in TN
Tricky ties kick up confusion
BJP ties up with AIADMK

Tell us what you think of this report