M A I N   N E W S

Govt appeasing Muslims: VHP

New Delhi, June 16
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today accused Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and the BJP of compromising with their stand on the Ram Temple issue and bargaining with Muslims to return to power after the next General Election.

VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Praveen Togadia and Acharya Giriraj Kishore told a joint press conference that the government had adopted the “Muslim appeasement” policy and was aiming to restore the “Muslim veto” in the country.

They claimed that Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, who is said to be behind the recent initiative to find a solution to the Ayodhya tangle, was being used as a “tool” by the government which had kept him in the dark about its other activities on the Ayodhya issue.

“Besides the initiative taken by the Shankaracharya, the government had been carrying out various deals with Muslims as part of its appeasement policy with an eye on the next elections. The Shankaracharya is not aware of all the facts,” Mr Singhal claimed.

Asked if they were referring to the role of the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister, they said: “We say the government is bargaining on the Ram Temple issue and both are part of that government.”

Mr Togadia said the BJP-led government had been trying to talk to various Muslim leaders and offer them all sorts of sops to ensure that it stayed on in power.

He charged the BJP government with offering the namaz facility at over 1000 ASI monuments, nine per cent reservation to Muslims, putting Kanshi and Mathura on the backburner, financial help to madarsas and “satisfying” senior Muslim leaders.

Commenting about its support to the BJP, they asserted, “Our support is only for those who support the Ram Temple issue.” UNI