VHP yatra row: BJP trying to communalise politics, says Cong

New Delhi: Congress today accused BJP of trying to “communalise and polarise” politics to win elections as a row raged over Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s threat to go ahead with its proposed yatra from Ayodhya defying a ban by Uttar Pradesh government while BJP favoured allowing the event. The Parishad, for its part, wanted Uttar government to reconsider its decision to disallow the yatra. Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said it was “obvious from the day Amit Shah (Narendra Modi’s close aide) was made BJP general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. There is nothing new in it….Because that is their agenda — communalise, polarise and try to win an election. That is BJP’s formula, BJP’s strategy from the beginning”. JD(U) termed as “absurd” VHP President Ashok Singhal’s threat to the state government that it will face “adverse consequences” if force was used to enforce a ban on its proposed yatra. “Who is he (Singhal)? Is he a thekedaar of Hindus? I am also a Hindu. Will he decide for me? What is this VHP?…Who accepts VHP as the leader of Hindus? Who is he to issue threats,” party President Sharad Yadav said. Accusing Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav of buckling under pressure of his party colleague Azam Khan in banning its proposed ‘84-kosi padyatra’, VHP said it will go ahead with the plan. [caption id=“attachment_1050861” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of flags from an earlier VHP rally. AFP[/caption] Khan said the decision to ban the yatra was taken because Uttar Pradesh government did not want any law and order problem. “Our government would ensure there is no law and order problem”, he said. Favouring that VHP be allowed to take out the yatra, BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley said “This is not a protest by VHP where some million people are participating. If a few saints want to participate in yatra, I don’t think there would be a sense of chaos in UP.” “If there is a law and order problem, the police machinery could step in but by banning the yatra, they brought it to the centre stage, which is something that UP government could have avoided”, he said. Ram Madhav of RSS asked the UP government to reconsider its decision to ban the yatra which is a “tradition”. “The government should reconsider the decision. This is a tradition and it will continue. We are appealing to the state government that it should change its stance on the yatra and let it continue.” Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry had advised UP government a fortnight ago to take precautionary measures following inputs from intelligence agencies that some fundamentalist groups may try to whip passion among communities ahead of Lok Sabha elections. The state government’s action against the yatra came after the Home Ministry’s advisory, sources said. PTI