M A I N   N E W S

Bid to rein in VHP leaders
Satish Misra
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 4
Even as the tone and tenor of the VHP leaders gets shriller every passing day in anticipation of a positive reaction of the Muslim community to the Kanchi Seer’s proposal, frantic behind the scenes efforts are going on to rein in the spoiled brats of the Sangh Parivar.

Not only the top BJP leadership is in touch with the RSS hierarchy but former RSS Sarsanghchalak Prof Rajendra Singh “Rajju Bhaia” is also reportedly trying to impress upon Ashok Singhal, Praveenbhai Togadia, Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Acharya Giriraj Kishore that there was no point in attacking BJP leaders like Mr Vajpayee and Mr L.K. Advani whose resignations have been demanded by them.

The BJP has been maintaining its cool in the face of provocations from the VHP as it had promised the RSS leaders at the New Delhi meeting in May and again at Mumbai Chintan Baithak last month that it would not join the issues publicly with the “aggressive and uncompromising” Parishad.

Even today, newly-appointed spokesman of the BJP Prakash Javdekar could only go the extent of saying that it would be better for the VHP to attack those parties which were opposed to the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya rather than demanding the resignation of Mr Vajpayee who has always stood for the temple and had supported the party’s political resolution at Palampur in 1989 which supported the Parishad’s demand.

Even this mild and soft stand was in reply to the volley of questions from mediapersons on the BJP’s silence on the VHP’s criticism and demand of Mr Vajpayee’s resignation.

The party is wondering over the VHP leaders provocative statements as the BJP leaders find themselves helpless against its own Parivar members and that is why all hopes are pinned on the RSS meeting at Kanyakumari which is starting from tomorrow.

The BJP has sent former party President Kushabhau Thakre and General Secretary Sanjay Joshi to attend the RSS meeting in Kanyakumari which is also being attended by some VHP leaders, including Mr Singhal.

The RSS is going to announce its policy on Sunday on the Ayodhya issue and on the Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati’s proposal which has the potentials for starting a process leading to the resolution of the vexed problem confronting the nation since 1986 when a Faizabad district court had ordered the removal of the locks.

Incidentally, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board is meeting in Lucknow on Sunday to consider the Kanchi Seer’s proposal.

RSS distances itself from Singhal’s demand

Kanniyakumari, July 4
Distancing itself from VHP leader Ashok Singhal’s demand that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee resign on the Ayodhya issue, the RSS today described it as Mr Singhal’s “personal opinion.”

Briefing reporters about the two-day national executive meeting of the RSS, which gets under way here tomorrow, RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said the BJP was a free and independent entity which could decide who should be the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister.

“We do not interfere in these matters,” he added.

“The RSS does not feel let down by the fact that the government has not been able to make headway in resolving the Ayodhya issue. We understand the difficulties that are preventing this government from going ahead. The coalition government is bound by an agenda which is different from the BJP agenda on the issues of Ayodhya, a Common Civil Code and Article 370,” he said.

However, at the same time the RSS did convey the expectations from allied organisations and individuals to the government that a grand temple should come up in Ayodhya at the site on which the Ram Lala idol was installed, Mr Madhav added. — UNI