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PM toeing RSS-VHP line: CPI(M)

NEW DELHI Dec.18. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee's remarks that Muslims had not strongly condemned the Godhra carnage came under severe attack from the Opposition which accused him of attempting to raise ``divisive issues'' and toeing the RSS-VHP line on the Gujarat violence.

``In spite of the fact that Godhra came in for strong condemnation cutting across party, religious and sectarian lines, no less a person than the Prime Minister is attempting to raise divisive issues,'' the Congress spokesman, Abhishek Singhvi, told reporters.

Deprecating Mr. Vajpayee's statement, he said it was strange to ask for repentance by the entire community for the criminal acts of individuals. He also took exception to Mr. Vajpayee's ``stoic silence'' over the provocative remarks of the VHP leader, Praveen Togadia, and others.

Mr. Singhvi said that the newspapers published a day after the Godhra incident carried condemnatory statements issued by various organisations cutting across party and religious lines.

As the entire Hindu community could not be condemned for the brutal killing some years ago of the Australian Missionary, Graham Staines and his two sons in Orissa, it would be unjust to condemn all Muslims for the Godhra incident, he said.

The CPI (M) politburo in a statement said that Mr. Vajpayee was ``echoing the RSS-VHP line on the Gujarat violence.''

It said such a stance was equivalent to condemning the entire community for a crime committed by a few and would be seen as justification for the ``mass killings'' of the minorities in the State.

``Does the Prime Minister seriously believe that the condemnation alone (which actually did take place) would have restrained the VHP-Bajrang Dal mobs from resorting to the carnage that took place,'' it asked.

The CPI said that Mr. Vajpayee's comments on the ``attitude'' of Muslims ``exposed his image as a moderate.''

It's secretary, D. Raja, said the Prime Minister's image as a moderate was only a ``tactic to deceive'' people.

He said that right from his comments calling for a national debate during the time of attacks on Christians in the Dangs in Gujarat and the killings of Muslims earlier this year and his claim in New York that he was a Swayamsevak only ``confirmed the fact'' that he belonged to the ``communal and fascist'' Sangh Parivar.

The Prime Minister's comments only underlined the need for secular parties to come together to find ways to combat the ``communalists and fascists,'' he said.

The secretary of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, M. A. Rahim Qureshi, today described Mr. Vajpayee's remarks as "unfortunate and condemnable." He said Godhra was condemned by all Muslim organisations, including the AIMPLB. ``The Prime Minister did not say a word condemning the bloodshed, gangrapes, devastation and destruction that followed Godhra.''— PTI, UNI

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