Opposition rallying against BJP's 'hidden agenda'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 7. The Opposition today stepped up pressure on the BJP leadership against its ``hidden'' agenda with the Left parties threatening to start a campaign on the issue, and the Congress(I) alleging a ``conspiracy'' against the minorities.

The focus of the Opposition attack was what it termed the ``divisive'' moves of the BJP-led Governments in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Gujarat's decision to lift the ban on its staff participating in the RSS activities and the Bill on places of worship passed by the Uttar Pradesh Assembly were described as ``deliberate acts of provocation''.

The Congress(I) said the two decisions were not a ``coincidence'' and indicated a ``conspiracy'' to create a religious polarisation. The legislation passed by the Uttar Pradesh Assembly making prior permission of the Executive mandatory for the construction of places of worship, was ``illegal and unconstitutional''. The new law clearly aims at discriminating against non-Hindu religions, the Congress(I) spokesperson Mr. Ajit Jogi said.

The Left parties saw a ``pattern'' in the two developments and were particularly critical of the Gujarat Government's ``open door'' policy on RSS. The CPI(M) politburo said it was significant that the Vajpayee Government had ``not reprimanded'' the Gujarat administration which was an entirely BJP show. ``On the contrary, by stating that the Central ban on employees' participation in RSS activities remains, the BJP-led Centre has only indirectly approved the State Government's move,'' it pointed out.

The U.P. Government's law on places of worship was ``clearly directed against the minority communities'', the CPI(M) said. It also interfered with the constitutional right to freedom of religion. The party called for a campaign to ``foil the BJP- RSS gameplan'' to divide the people on the basis of religion.

The CPI said it had called a meeting of its central secretariat next week to decide on mobilising the people against the U.P. and Gujarat developments. ``These are deeply disturbing moves and we plan to launch a countrywide movement against such divisive policies,'' the party national secretary, Mr. D. Raja, said.

Cong.'s five points

The Congress(I) came up with five objections to the U.P. law. First, it violated the fundamental right of freedom to practise, preach and propagate the religion of choice, which also include the right to construct places of worship.

Second, it specifically mentioned that no appeal could be made to the courts. The judiciary had been barred from taking up any cases related to the Act. ``To exclude the judiciary and not allow it to take any action goes against three cardinal principles - the rule of law, the separation of the judiciary and the independence of the judiciary,'' Mr. Jogi said.

Third, one of the aims and objectives mentioned was to curb and prevent the activities of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Uttar Pradesh, especially along the State's border with Nepal. The Congress(I) said that there were several laws already in existence that were adequate to deal with the activities of the ISI and similar organisations.

Fourth, the Act was confined not only to places of worship but even to institutions attached to them. Finally, Mr. Jogi said, the BJP's background revealed the mala fide intentions of the U.P. Government.

Mr. Syed Shahabuddin, convener of Insaf Morcha and former MP, urged the BJP's allies in the National Democratic Alliance to ``stop the Sangh Parivar from playing the vicious game of poisoning the social environment''.

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