New Delhi: Stepping up its offensive, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) today (July 19, 2004) equated the Andhra Pradesh Government's decision to give five per cent job reservation to Muslims with Mohammad Ali Jinnah's pre-independence demand for separate electorate and said it would divide the country further.

"The Andhra Pradesh Government's decision is similar to the demand made by Jinnah for separate electorate and the natural corollary will be the demand for the country's further partition," BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman V K Malhotra told in New Delhi.

Charging the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government with playing the "Muslim card", he described as "unconstitutional" the Railway Ministry's decision to hold a departmental probe into the Godhra carnage.

He said the party would be circulating a detailed note to all its MPs and State units on the issue and would launch an awareness programme across the country.

Party President M Venkaiah Naidu had yesterday announced a fortnight long 'anti-appeasement' campaign beginning July 26.

Malhotra said the refresher course for party MPs in New Delhi on Saturday would be followed by a three-day camp.