Saturday, Mar 23, 2002
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AYODHYA MARCH 22. Under attack from secular parties, the NDA constituents and minority organisations, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today denied it had any plans to take the ashes of the Godhra train carnage victims to all parts of the country. While stating that it had no plans for an `asthi yatra', the VHP's international general secretary, Praveenbhai Togadia, expressed satisfaction that the matter had been discussed in Parliament. At a press conference here, he wondered whether the "so-called" secular parties wanted to impose restrictions on the Hindu community by snatching away its right to mourn the death of `Ram sevaks' in Godhra. He regretted that these parties had not raised their voice when Hindus were massacred in Kashmir and over three lakh people were made refugees. "The Hindu community in the country is feeling totally insecure. The duty of saving their honour is with the VHP now." Mr. Togadia said the next phase of the Ram temple movement would aim at getting back 67 acres of the acquired land. Religious leaders would meet at Haridwar, Rishikesh or any other pilgrim centre to chalk out the future programme. The VHP leader said three programmes had been planned in the next phase of agitation, beginning June 2. They are daily `Ram naam jap' (chanting of Lord Ram's name), weekly `Ram naam jap' in lakhs of villages across the country and a `Ram naam jap yagna' in Ayodhya. Demanding that the entire 67 acres of land, including the sanctum sanctorum, be handed over to the VHP, Mr. Togadia said that if necessary, Parliament should enact an legislation for the purpose. The demand was "non-negotiable" and the Government and the Muslim community should respect the sentiments of Hindus in this regard. In Gandhinagar, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, welcomed the VHP's decision and also that of the Tajiya Committee on not taking out a Moharram procession. "The decision against taking out the `asthi yatra' and the Moharram procession in the State would be appropriate in the prevailing situation," he said in a statement here. "It will be our joint effort to restore peace again," Mr. Modi said and appealed to the people to observe Holi and Moharram with simplicity in view of the tense situation in the State. In Ahmedabad, the State VHP general secretary, Jaideep Patel, said that as of now his organisation had no programme that would entail public participation. "We can't think of taking out an `asthi yatra' or sending `Ram sevaks' to Ayodhya in view of the tense situation prevailing in parts of the State." — PTI
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