The Hindu : People will prefer drinking water to trishuls: Gehlot

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 18, 2003

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People will prefer drinking water to trishuls: Gehlot

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR APRIL 17. The Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, today accused Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders of trying to function like an extra-constitutional authority. "Ever since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government came to power at the Centre, Praveen Togadia and other VHP leaders have started behaving as if they are above the law," he said.

"Their behaviour is in complicity with the NDA which has given them a free run," he told newspersons on the occasion of the foundation stone laying of Rajasthan Sanskrit University at Sanganer, near here.

"No one is above the law. No one should be. In the case of absence of rule of law the common people would suffer most,'' Mr. Gehlot said referring to the arrest of Mr. Togadia near Ajmer, for distributing weapons shaped-like tridents.

"We cannot allow outsiders to spoil the atmosphere of harmony and brotherhood in the State. Those trying to create a Gujarat out of Rajasthan will not succeed in their game-plan. The people of Rajasthan are a peace-loving lot."

Terming Mr. Togadia's "antics" as an "election stunt", he said the drought-affected people of Rajasthan would prefer drinking water to the `trishuls' distributed by the VHP. Instead of trying to divide the people, the VHP leaders should help the masses fight the drought.

Mr. Gehlot refuted the VHP charge that Mr. Togadia's arrest was at the behest of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. "The Sangh Parivar is talking like this out of sheer desperation."

VHP's charge

Meanwhile, the international general secretary of the VHP, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, has accused the Rajasthan Government of denying democratic rights to Mr. Togadia. "The Government denied Mr. Togadia even the right to seek bail," the Acharya, accompanied by BJP leader, Onkar Singh Lakhawat, told newspersons here today. He threatened a national-level agitation from next week to protest the arrest of Mr. Togadia. Details of the agitation would be worked out after consulting, Ashok Singhal, who is scheduled to reach Jaipur by the weekend.

Acharya Kishore said the VHP would also approach the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in connection with the "persecution" of its leaders and a memorandum would be submitted to him demanding the dismissal of the Gehlot Government.

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