The Hindu : BJP upset over VHP tirade

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 21, 2003

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BJP upset over VHP tirade

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI JUNE 20. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad's increasingly strident articulation on the Ayodhya temple issue, especially the tirade the BJP is subjected to by the VHP working president, Ashok Singhal, has not found favour with the BJP and it is all set to convey to its Sangh Parivar associate that such outspoken stances would politically damage the party, sources said.

The issue came up today at the end of the BJP's three-day conclave at Utthan in Thane district.

At a press conference later, the BJP chief, Venkaiah Naidu, confirmed that the issue of both the VHP and the Ayodhya were discussed, but declined to disclose the details except that "the VHP thinks of Hindus and we think of the nation.'' The two had different perspectives and it was not always that the BJP agreed with the VHP, "another nationalist organisation.'' Mr. Naidu said: "We will not join issue with them in public.''

Mr. Naidu, however, conceded that the VHP was "restive'' on the temple issue but "we are a ruling party. We have some responsibility'' and the compulsion of coalition politics where the common agenda of the National Democratic Alliance and not that of the BJP could be implemented. "We have to tell them (the VHP) that we can go only so far'' and convey what the limitations are. Even a legislative option to build the temple was not possible for the same reason. Since the issue could not be resolved in the present context by any means other than a court verdict or mutual consent, the BJP had "no problem to talk to anyone or anyone talking to anyone else. But we are for a magnificent temple,'' in Ayodhya. The BJP "had not given up on any stand, be it population control, Ayodhya or Kashmir.'' He declined to see Ayodhya alone as an "emotional issue." "Nationalism was an emotional issue too.''

Mr. Naidu said that some issues would make the Parivar happy. The BJP's "chintan baithak" wanted "a quick law banning cow slaughter,'' and "pressure on all States to deal effectively with the issue of religious conversions.''

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