New Delhi: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) today (Dec 22, 2003) took strong exception to a report by the US State Department referring to it as not only a Hindu nationalist party but also having links with Hindu militant organisations, which were indulging in violent acts.

"We condemn this observation in the report and take strong objection to it. We are a nationalist party but have no links with any Hindu fundamentalist organisation indulging in violent acts against Muslims, Christians or other minorities. In BJP we have members from all these communities," party spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters in New Delhi.

He said it is time the US Government stopped publishing such reports for after all "they are not the boss of the world".

Malhotra said US should examine its track record regarding violation of Human Rights and see how it is violating it in its own country.

On Congress raising the issue of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) demanding that its character be maintained and that Government should stop interfering in its functioning specially in regard to its mode of admission, he said, "as elections approach, Congress is raising this issue and it is more for electoral purposes".

On subsidy to Haj pilgrims, he said the Government has been subsidising and in spite of that the Opposition appears not to be appeased and walks out in Lok Sabha.

He said subsidy should be given only to those pilgrims who cannot afford to go on their own.