Delhi, Nov 23, 2009: In an attempt to woo Christians, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday projected itself as a minority friendly party that sturdily believes in equal respect for all religions.

The senior leader of the party, LK Advani, addressing the golden jubilee of the Archdiocese of Delhi, disowned the party's fanatical patriotism and said "BJP is not anti-Christian or anti-minority". He termed such accusations as "motivated propaganda".

“I revere Jesus Christ for his message of universal peace, love and brotherhood. I deeply value the contribution of our Christian brethren both to India’s freedom struggle and to India’s nation-building in the post-Independence era,” Advani said.

Further, seeking to vindicate his party’s grim outlook, Advani went on to say that BJP was born on an Easter Day.

"It is not without significance that we were expelled from the Janata Party on the day of Crucifixion of Christ, and that we are experiencing our political rebirth in the form of the BJP on the day of Resurrection of Christ," media quoted him saying.

The Leader of the Opposition continued that he studied in a Christian school and "all my teachers, including Father Modestine, the principal, were Christian.”

Due to his school background, he pointed that he often uses Christian metaphors during political communications.

Stressing that India has never exhibited exclusivism, Advani said the country is known for its unity in diversity and respect of all religions.

“We see diversity in faith, language, customs, appearances, in many things. India’s age-old civilisation has always displayed this unique quality of respecting its diversities, integrating them and making them a part of its unity. That integrating force is our national culture,” Advani said, as reported by the Press Trust of India.

The statements of Advani has come at a time when communal violence and hatred against Christians have placed the Church in a state of uneasiness, leading it to openly condemn the vicious activities of Sangh Parivar.

Just last week, the BJP had strongly opposed the government extending reservation benefits to Dalit Christians who have been deprived of their rights by a 1950 Constitutional Order.