Chandigarh, February 23
Giving a new twist to the alleged “smear campaign” started by the Congress against the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, in Madhya Pradesh, the star campaigner of the BJP in that state, Ms Uma Bharati, said today that “an apology or regret by the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, could resolve the beef-eating controversy”.
Ms Uma Bharati, who was here this morning, said the Congress which had earlier denied that it was behind the posters distributed in MP propagating that Mr Vajpayee ate beef, had now admitted its guilt following the evidence produced by the BJP to confront the Chief Minister, Mr Digvijay Singh.
The posters levelling charges that Mr Vajpayee ate beef were distributed by Youth Congress activists allegedly on directions of their leaders, she claimed.
“Mrs Sonia Gandhi should apologise because she is the head of the Congress,” she said. “BJP activists in MP are agitated over this issue. I am trying to pacify them. But how long I can do so as their number is in lakhs?” she commented.
She alleged that the tone for individual attacks on the BJP leaders had been set by the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh. He had gone all out against the Himachal Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal. And in counter-attacks, the BJP also hit at Capt Amarinder Singh, she asserted. But all this should be stopped.
Ms Bharati, who has remained associated with the Vishva Hindu Parishad on the Ram temple, said she did not agree with the parishad’s demand to officially declare the country as “Hindu rashtra or Hindustan”. “I am against a theological state,” she asserted.
The country is already known as Bharat and Hindustan and India is its English name.
The country was a Hindu nation because of uniformity in the culture of its people though they practise different religions. “Not religion, but culture unites people”, she added.
On the Ayodhya issue, Ms Bharati said the sooner the issue was resolved, the better it would be for the country
“This issue should be resolved out of court and it could be resolved to the satisfaction of both Hindus and Muslims”, she asserted.
She lamented that these disputes and emotional issues were “telling upon the development of the country. Because of the Temple issue, Parliament remained blocked for weeks and no business was transacted in the House.”
About the Bhojshala turmoil, Ms Bharati alleged that it was the creation of the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Digvijay Singh.
The agitation for getting the Bhojshala opened for Hindus had been going on since 1998, but the Chief Minister had ordered its opening for two hours every Tuesday now.
