Rampur: Making an all out bid to woo Muslim voters ahead of the crucial Assembly polls, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Venkaiah Naidu on May 28 for the first time favoured construction of mosque alongside the Ram temple at Ayodhya and promised more ministerial berth to the community in lieu of electoral support.

Addressing a mammoth 'social harmony' rally in this Muslim dominated constituency organised by party general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Naidu listed Rs 120 crore Haj subsidy and recently launched Lucknow-Jeddah flight among the achievements of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, which he claimed did not discriminate between Hindus and Muslims.

The proposed Commission to study reservation to economically backward in government jobs, would also benefit the Muslims, he said.

"There is no question of imposing our agenda on others. The Ram temple should be built either through court, legislation or negotiation. There is no question of acting under pressure (from Sangh Parivar) or violating the law," Naidu said.

While asserting that Hindu's were the soul of India, he said BJP wanted a grand temple to be built at Ayodhya but also favoured a mosque to be constructed alongside.

Interestingly, BJP's Sangh Parivar ally Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has been opposing construction of a mosque anywhere in the 'Panchkosi Parikrama' surrounding the temple.

This is for the first time that the BJP has made such a suggestion.

PTI