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VHP plans to take out 'asthi yatras'

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD MARCH 20. In a move that can lead to tension in other parts of the country, the Gujarat unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is chalking out a plan to take out "asthi yatras'' — urns containing ashes — of the victims of the Godhra train carnage.

According to the VHP sources, the idea behind the proposal is to pay "fitting tributes'' to the "martyrs'' of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple movement by immersing the ashes of the victims in rivers and seas. But apparently under pressure from the State Government, the VHP has left the final decision on the "yatras'' to a committee of "sants.''

The VHP State joint general secretary, Kaushik Mehta, said the "sants'' from all over the State would meet here later this week to take a decision on the "yatras.'' The urns containing the ashes of the 58 "Ram sevaks'' had been kept at the VHP office here, he said.

The move to leave the decision to the "sants'' was apparently aimed at warding off pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party Governments at the Centre and the State because as an arm of the Sangh Parivar, the VHP would be more susceptible to such pressure than an independent committee of "sants.''

The Narendra Modi Government is trying to prevent the VHP from taking out such "yatras" at least in Gujarat in view of the tensions in the State. Sources said that discussions were on with the VHP leadership and that "we are confident of dissuading them from making such a move.''

The Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Gordhan Jhadaphia, in fact, claimed that the VHP had "accepted'' the Government's request.

The Centre had also been alerted about the possible VHP move but a decision on whether to allow such "yatras'' within their States would be left to the State Governments, the sources said.

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