THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: President of the Bharatiya Janata Party Rajnath Singh has made it clear that his party will vehemently oppose both within and outside Parliament all moves to introduce reservation on the basis of religion.

Inaugurating the concluding session of the party's mass contact programme led by State president P.K. Krishnadas here on Thursday. Mr. Singh alleged that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government and the Left parties supporting it were trying to `communlise poverty and unemployment.'

"Poverty or unemployment has no religion. There must be effective programmes to tackle unemployment and poverty among all sections of people. The BJP will resist any attempt to give communal dimensions to poverty and unemployment," he said. "The UPA Government the Left parties are following divisive policies and are trying to appease the Muslims through moves like giving reservations to them in the Government sector.

The Government has even announced that 15 per cent of bank loans must be given to the Muslims.

The report of the Sachar Committee was being used as a cover for such vote bank politics. The BJP is of the view that politics must not be pursued not just for coming to power, but for nation building," Mr. Singh said.

UPA policies slammed

Strongly criticising the UPA Government for allegedly delaying the execution of the accused in Parliament attack case Afzal Guru, Mr. Singh declared that if the BJP was voted back to power it would launch steps to implement the order of various courts in the country to execute Afzal Guru, on the first day of assuming power.

Emphasising the need for maintaining the independent foreign policy of India, Mr. Singh said even though the BJP was not opposed to the proposal to enter into a nuclear deal with Pakistan, the party would protest any attempt to surrender the nuclear sovereignty of the country.

Poor development

Criticising the Communist parties and the Congress for the `underdevelopment of Kerala' the BJP president alleged that even though the political combinations led by these parties were ruling the State alternatively for the last 50 years, the basic problems like poverty and unemployment remained unresolved.

He demanded the Kerala Chief Minister to take steps to remove the State Minister who was facing contempt of court proceedings.

Several State leaders of the party including P.P. Mukundan and O. Rajagopal were among those who spoke on the occasion.

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