The Hindu : Shanta Kumar sends another apology letter

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 20, 2002

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Shanta Kumar sends another apology letter

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 19. After an apology to the Bharatiya Janata Party president, Jana Krishnamurthi, the Union Food Minister, Shanta Kumar, has sent yet another apology letter to the RSS man in-charge of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Onkar Bhave.

It seems that Mr. Kumar responded to a message from Mr. Bhave asking him to explain his reported statements against the VHP in which he had alleged that these elements did not at all represent Hindutva, in fact they brought a bad name to the Hindu community.

However, in his letter to Mr. Bhave, Mr. Kumar said that he had never said anything nasty about the VHP, but that "it was necessary to control elements'' who "in the name of VHP and Hindutva'' were guilty of acts which were bringing a bad name to the VHP and the Sangh Parivar.

He added that he had been with the RSS ideology "since childhood'' and let alone say or do anything it was not possible for him to even think differently from the RSS and its various institutions.

Copies of Mr. Kumar's letter to Mr. Bhave were today distributed at a press conference by VHP international vice-president, Acharya Giriraj Kishore.

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