The Hindu : VHP leader criticises Verma, Lyngdoh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2002

National

National

VHP leader criticises Verma, Lyngdoh

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 11. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad today demanded the arrest of the Rajya Sabha member and journalist, Kuldip Nayar, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act even as it strongly criticised the National Human Rights Commission alleging that "under its Chairman, former Chief Justice, J. S. Verma, the Commission should be more aptly named the national commission for the human rights of terrorists.'' The reason: they had both given the security agencies a bad name while depending entirely on the account of one person in relation to the Ansal Plaza shootout here the day before Diwali.

The VHP secretary, Surendra Jain, also directed his anger at several others: the Chief Election Commissioner, J. M. Lyngdoh, the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the Gujarat PCC chief, Shankarsinh Waghela. He virtually charged Mr. Lyngdoh with "talking like a Congressman" and said that he should "resign" and contest the elections if he so wished.

He praised the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, and, even as Mr. Modi's `gaurav yatra' is coming to an end, Mr. Jain and the VHP leader, Praveen Togadia, have planned to launch their own `yatra' from November 17 to cover "every district, every block'' in Gujarat to appeal to voters to "vote in the national interest.''

Although Mr. Jain hesitated in saying that the VHP would be canvassing for the Bharatiya Janata Party, his tirade against the Congress made it as saffron as marigold what political colour he favoured.

"We do not want votes to be split along caste lines, that would not be in the national interest and this will be our appeal to the voters,'' he said. Responding to reports that Mr. Waghela had asked the Election Commission to prevent the VHP from indulging in a vicious communal propaganda, Mr. Jain said that the VHP was a "religious and cultural organisation'' and that its activities were "outside the jurisdiction of the Election Commission.''

"What can the Chief Election Commissioner do? Can he arrest me, can he arrest the Chief Minister? Does he have the power to do so,'' he asked.

The Congress was carrying on a communal campaign in the State and "all riots in the State were the result of the coalition between the Congress and the `jehadis', both when the Congress was a ruling party and when it was in the Opposition (as earlier this year).'' Mr. Jain gave a clean chit to the Modi Government.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National