Modi launches BJP's membership drive

In an apparent bid to rid his party of 'anti-Muslim' tag, prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked the BJP leaders and workers to reach out to every section of the society and ensure that every section had representation in the saffron party.

Launching his party's nationwide membership drive in his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi, Modi said that BJP should have members from every community.

''Reach out to members of every community....we should have representation from all sections of the society,'' the prime minister said while addressing around five thousand BJP workers in Varanasi.

He lauded the role of the BJP workers in helping the saffron party gain success in the elections. ''It is owing to our workers that the BJP has strong organisations in places where it was not present some years back,'' he added.

''Today we have emerged as a big party in the north-eastern states and southern region also...we should now aim to reach where we have no or little presence,'' he said.

The prime minister also launched a toll-free number as part of the membership drive. He also distributed membership certificate to five newly inducted members of the saffron party.

Earlier Modi unveiled the statue of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at the Varanasi airport upon his arrival in the town. He also planted a sapling at Anand Kanan Garden at Harahua in the town. Twenty-seven lakhs saplings would be planted in his Lok Sabha constituency.