Date:09/09/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/09/09/stories/2002090904280100.htm

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A shame yatra: Cong.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 8. The Congress has decried the attempt by the BJP to "once again deepen the agony of communal riots" witnessed in the State earlier this year by going ahead with the thrice-postponed `gaurav rath yatra', which it described as a "shame yatra".

Accusing the BJP of following its own "hidden agenda" in Gujarat, the senior Congress leader, Balram Jakhar, today said he was certain the people would punish the BJP in the elections later this year for communalising the State and inflicting the horror of the killing of thousands of innocent people.

What is the BJP proud of? Was it proud that the riots had given a bad name to India's secularism? Was it to signal the party's blessings to those anti-nationals who had participated in murder and loot? Was it to remind the people of the atrocities committed and to sprinkle salt on the unhealed wounds? These were the questions asked by Dr. Jakhar.