A couple of days after former defence minister A K Antony sought introspection on the policies of secularism followed by the Congress,  BJP patriarch L K Advani welcomed the “honest soul-searching”. 

Advani also argued that the statement vindicated the BJP's stand that the Congress’ secularism was nothing but minority-appeasement politics.

Delivering the valedictory speech at a two-day training session for the BJP’s first-time MPs in Surajkund in bordering Haryana, Advani said Antony was of the view that the Congress’ slant towards Muslims has alienated the majority community.

“We should welcome this honest soul-searching by Antony. For he is now saying what we in the BJP had been saying all along. We have always said secularism should mean justice for all, appeasement of none and discrimination against none,” Advani told over 150 MPs.

Senior RSS leader Suresh Soni, and NDA ministers Piyush Goel and Prakash Javadekar were among the other speakers at the programme.

Advani said he hoped that the Kerala leader’s plain-speak would bring a change in the Congress' approach towards secularism. He also had a word of advice for leaders of his party, that they should consolidate on the “perceptible change” in the Muslims' outlook towards the Modi government. He said this change was visible in Muslims voting for party candidates during the Lok Sabha elections.