15 Nov 2002

VHP SHUNS PM'S APPEAL TO CALL OFF YATRA

From Our Delhi Burau

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday issued a public appeal to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad not to defy the Election Commission's ban on its yatra but VHP leader Dr Pravin Togadia rejected even his appeal, asserting that the religious yatra would be carried out come what may.

Though Vajpayee's appeal was not directly addressed to VHP, it was apparently meant for none except VHP. The appeal was to "all organisations" to honour the ban, saying the Godhra train burning and the post-Godhra violence should not be made an election issue in Gujarat.

"I urge all political parties and organisations to focus their election campaign on issues of development and governance and not on matters that vitiate the atmosphere. I do hope that after the State Government's decision all concerned would work towards peaceful conclusion of the polls," he said.

Even while Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani refused to comment on VHP's defiance of the ban when asked at a Press conference in Ranchi on Friday pleding that he would not say anything since he was part of the government, the BJP also tried to underplay the Prime Minister's appeal by not even referring to it at the daily Press briefing.

Only when pressed to comment on the PM's appeal that party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the BJP does not favour going to polls over dead bodies and as such it would appeal also to the Congress not to give communal colour to the elections by raising the post-Godhra violence in its poll campaign.

Only a day earlier, another spokesman Arun Jaitley had sought to justify VHP depicting the Godhra train burning in its proposed "Yatra", pointing out that the Election Commission had not objected in 1984 when the Congress went to polls with posters of blood spread all over the dead body of Indira Gandhi and again posters showing assassination of Stain and his two sons in Orissa during the state assembly elections.

"I appeal to all organisations to honour this directive issued by the Constitutional authority and help the state administration in discharing its duty," Vajpayee said in a statement, pointing out that "the Government of Gujarat has done the right thing by acting as per the directive of the Election Commission to prohibit religious processions in the state ahead of the Assembly elections on December 12."

Clearly disapproving with the BJP criticism of the Commission's decision, the Prime Minister said: "On the face of it the decision might look wrong but given the circumstances in Gujarat, the ban order is all right."

While Jaitley had stressed that the Election Commission cannot set rules of the debate during the polls clamping restrictions on freeom of speech, the Prime Minister said: "With elections less than a month away, it is natural for political and social organisations to want to go among the people and conduct their campaign. It is their democratic right."

"However, it is also the democratic duty of one and all to exercise it in a lawful way. Even protest has to be expressed in a peaceful manner without inflaming passions. It is only through scrupulous obedience of the law that we can enhance the prestige and efficacy of our democracy," he said.

Vajpayee said anyway the people of Gujarat would give their verdict soon and there was no need for making allegations and counter allegations.

Meanwhile, in an interview to "Aaj Tak" TV channel, Vajpayee said the Gujarat Government had initially given permission to VHP for the Yatra but the same was withdrawn after assessing the situation and in view of the Election Commission's directing not to allow the Yatra that may create communal tension.

"I hope all parties and outfits will abide by it," the Prime Minister told "Aaj Tak," and said he was in constant touch with the Gujarat Government and had advised everyone to concentrate on the polls and not take any steps that may fan passions and disrupt the poll process.

On the path chosen by VHP, Vajpayee said "it is difficult to say what it will do..... But I feel things will settle down with attention being focused on the elections." To a question about degeneration in Gujarat politics, he said "it was happening all over the country and not just in Gujarat." Regarding the poll campaign in the state, Vajpayee said elections should be fought on development issues and not by inflaming emotions.

He asserted that Godhra cannot and should not be made an election issue. "If it is done, it will look like there is no other issue and votes are being played with like a toy." Expressing the hope that the elections will usher in a "new beginning" for Gujarat, the Prime Minister said it should bring communal harmony and end political instability in the state. END