Date:02/09/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/09/02/stories/2002090205510100.htm

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Narendra Modi postpones 'gaurav yatra' to Sept. 7

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR Sept. 1. In a bid to avoid a confrontation with the supporters of the Gujarat pradesh Congress president, Shankarsinh Waghela, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, has postponed his "Gaurav Rath Yatra'' to September 7.

Mr. Modi indicated his "unilateral decision'' to postpone the rath yatra by four days in a letter to Mr. Waghela in which he also wished him "all success'' in the September 3 ceremony at the Bhathiji Maharaj temple at Phagwel village from where the Chief Minister was also scheduled to launch his rath yatra the same day.

Mr. Modi's decision came in the wake of a threat by Mr. Waghela to launch a 24-hour hunger strike in front of the Bhathiji temple tomorrow in protest against the "misuse'' of Government machinery to harass him and prevent his supporters from converging at the village for the ceremony.

Surprisingly, even the State BJP president, Rajendrasinh Rana, who is due to accompany Mr. Modi in the rath yatra, and the chief co-ordinator of the programme, Jayantibhai Barot, MP, were caught unawares about the Chief Minister's sudden decision. Minutes before the announcement by the Chief Minister's office, Mr. Rana, who was in his home town of Bhavnagar, insisted that there was no change in the schedule and the party would go ahead with the programme "come what may.'' Mr. Barot himself was away in Phagwel giving final touches for the launching of the rath yatra. Both the Chief Minister's Office and the party claimed that there had been pressure from the central high command to re-schedule the rath yatra and the decision had been taken by Mr. Modi on his own "in the larger interest of the unity of the people in the State and maintaining peace and tranquillity.''

In a joint statement, Mr. Rana and the party's newly-appointed general-secretary, Bhupendrasinh Chudasma, said a large number of "sadhus and sants,'' some prominent citizens and others had expressed concern over the worsening situation in Phagwel and on their advice Mr. Modi unilaterally decided to postpone the rath yatra.

Mr. Modi in his letter to Mr. Waghela also said that he was taking the decision because many "sadhus'' and well-wishers had been feeling uncomfortable over the developments following parallel ceremonies of the BJP and the supporters of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. In a dig at Mr. Waghela, Mr. Modi in his letter said he was praying to God to grant him the "strength to follow a path of truthfulness and honour democratic values in future.'' He made it clear that he believed that Mr. Waghela had chalked out the programme much after his rath yatra date was announced, to stall the BJP programme in an undemocratic manner. But, he said, he was "making the way clear for him for a successful ceremony at the temple on September 3,'' and added that Mr. Waghela would be granted official permission if he sought one even now.

Mr. Waghela had in a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Manohar Joshi, last night complained of police harassment to his supporters and sought his "protection'' to visit his constituency to participate in the religious ceremony. He said he was apprehensive that the State Government machinery would be "misused'' to prevent him and his supporters from reaching Phagwel on that day to make the ruling party's rath yatra programme a success.