Not all Muslims feel BJP a 'Hindutva party': VK Singh

There is a "large section" among Muslims which does not feel that BJP is a Hindutva party even though a false picture has been painted vis-a-vis the outfit, Union Minister Gen. (retd) VK Singh said today while stressing that the Narendra Modi government wants "everybody to be together".

The minister of state for external affairs also said that terrorism has no religion, caste or language and should not become any basis on which communities are segregated.

"If people have been shown a demon for 60 years, a false picture has been painted, obviously that picture does not go away and, therefore, you find there are some who feel BJP is a Hindutva kind of party.

"But a large section of our Muslim population does not feel that," Singh said here at the 'India Today Global Roundtable'. He was responding to a question as to why not many among the Muslims join BJP.

Strongly pushing an agenda of development, Singh, a former army chief, said that progress should be such that "it transcends false barriers which have been created for various reasons".

"Terror has no religion, caste, no language... Let's not segregate communities into that. The government was quite clear when it said, 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. We want everybody to be together.

"A large part (of the people) is seeking development. Any party which brings development and does not segregate or ensures that development is inclusive... Is such that it transcends the false barriers which have been created for various reasons, I think it will support the present government," Singh said.

Asked about the issue of achieving a resolution in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said that the "main handling" has to be done politically. If his party were to form a government there, that would be the first step towards securing a resolution, he added.

"Resolution is not just military. There are a large number of inputs which have to go into it. The main handling has to be political, administrative and governance-based. All these are combined if you actually carry out conflict resolution," he said.

"Much more effort is needed. First step would be that we (BJP) form a government there (J-K) so that we can take the governance mechanism forward. Let's see how things turn out," he said.