15 Nov 2002

CONG POOHPOOHS PM'S APPEAL TO VHP

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday pooh poohed the Prime Minister's appeal to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to honour the Election Commission's ban on its proposed "Yatra", pointing out that it exposes "the dichotomy, the contradiction" as he and his BJP have taken "180 degree opposite stand."

Party spokesman Abhishek Singhavi said "it is very important for the party or the PM to explain" this contradiction as Atal Bihari Vajpayee is endorsing the Election Commission's decision to ban the "Yatra" while his party is vocally supporting the same "Yatra"

The Congress is, of course, happy with the Prime Minister's statement, Singhavi said while pointing out that "it is amusing if not laughable the duality between the ruling party and its manifestations."

ANOTHER RALLY: Asked about yet another "Yatra" being undertaken in Gujarat by former Union Minister Satpal Maharaj of Congress from this Sunday just when VHP's "Yatra" had been banned, Singhavi said nobody is calling for a blanket ban on political or religious yatra. He also stressed that Satpal Maharaj's "Yatra" being organised by a trust is for "sadbhavna" (amity) and not for dividing the people on religious or any other grounds.

"But if the Election Commission finds he is indulging in anything that surcharges, the Congress will be first to stop him," Singhavi said.

He said the VHP's threat to carry out the "Yatra" despite the ban was the "most unfortunate blatant disregard and proclaimed defiance of the law to convey that as far as VHP is concerned, the law is below its foot."

Singhavi pointed out that the "Yatra" was most unfortunate since when Gujarat was settling down after the communal strife and getting ready for the polls. deliberate attempt is being made to use religion in politics.

"Why ths Yatra now, few weeks before polls? You do not have to search for purposes or motives. Who will believe it to be a normal religious activity or normal political campaign," Singhavi asked, pointing out that the objective is crystal-clear: "Inject poison in atmosphere, vitiate atmosphere, destroy and not heal the wounds and use it for political purposes."

BJP ACCUSES CONG: BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, however, blasted the Congress for trying to show the ban on VHP as its own victory and warned that such claims would prove suicidal. He reminded the Congress that similar acts of the Congress which were not far-sighted in Uttar Pradesh had made it to suffer till today.

He said since after the Godhra train burning, the Congress had been taking provocative postures to vitiate the atmosphere not only in Gujarat but in rest of India though it was heartening that the people defeated their attempts.

Naqvi said the BJP did not want to make use of religion in the elections as its priority is that the political activities should be carried out in an atmosphere of "sadbhav, shanti and bhaichara." The BJP wants the Gujarat elections to be completed in a fear-free atmpshere (bhay mukt mahaul). END