Sunday, June 5 2005 09:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhopal: Condemning BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) President L K Advani's comments on Mohd Ali Jinnah, VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) claimed that the former Deputy Prime Minister will have to apologise for committing "treachery for appeasement of Muslims and insulting Hindus".

"A person who caused division of country and killed so many people through direct action.., to call such a villain secular is making fun of secularism," VHP senior international vice-president Giriraj Kishore told sources in Bhopal, reacting to Advani's comment in Karachi in praise of the founder of Pakistan.

"He (Advani) must have made the statements for Muslim appeasement and to speak good about the person (Jinnah) at his memorial. But it is an insult of Hindus on a foreign land," the VHP leader said.

Condemning the statement, Kishore said Advani could have spoken good about Jinnah in any manner, but calling him secular was not acceptable.

"The statement was a treachery to the Hindu community for Muslim appeasement. He (Advani) will have to apologise for it," the VHP leader claimed.

On whether BJP was following the "Muslim appeasement policy" to gain power, the VHP leader said, "Its a race. They (BJP) were number two secular party after Congress. Now they are trying to become number one."