The Hindu : Differences in Sangh Parivar over war

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2003

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Differences in Sangh Parivar over war

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI FEB. 11. There are strong differences in the Sangh Parivar on the possibility of a U.S.-led war on Iraq. The RSS chief, K.S. Sudershan, feels that the Government's position of opposing a war is correct, but the Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary, Pravin Togadia, would like to see the Government support a U.S.-led war.

"What if there is no proof of Iraqi complicity in terrorism, we are not talking about justice... we are talking about the clash of civilisations,'' Mr. Togadia said. He added that Indian businessmen and traders could make money in the "post-war construction boom in Iraq".

The VHP opposed `jehadi' terrorism and radical Islam. Hence, it opposed Iraq, a Muslim country. That was the "logic" of Mr. Togadia's argument at a press conference here today. "We could not get to Islamabad via Kargil, we can get to Islamabad via Baghdad.''

He preferred to dodge the question whether he and the VHP also saw a "clash" between "Christian civilisation" and India, saying that "at present, the active clash was between `jehadi' terrorism and the rest of the world" and that India should be on the side of the U.S., which would lead the attack on Iraq.

In an interview to Panchjanya, an RSS mouthpiece, Mr. Sudershan said that Iraq had been a friend of India, it had supported India on the Kashmir issue and sold oil to India at lower prices and that India should, under no circumstances, join or support the U.S. attempt to start a war against Iraq. "If the U.S. was serious about tackling terrorism, it would have acted against Pakistan first,'' the RSS chief said.

On the Ram temple issue, Mr. Togadia warned that if the Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura issues were not sorted out by the Muslim community, the VHP-led agitation would open up the issue of "30,000 temples destroyed during the Mughal period". He said that the VHP wanted not just a part of the acquired land in Ayodhya be handed over to its trust, "but all of the 67 acres" before 6 p.m. on February 23.

Asked what he had to say about the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee's reported annoyance with him for talking about a "fight to the finish (`aar paar ki ladayi')" if the February 23 deadline was not met, Mr. Togadia said "the Prime Minister does not have a registered patent on the phrase". Mr. Vajpayee had used the phrase with reference to Pakistan when Indian troops were amassed on the border.

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