Date:07/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/07/stories/2007040707271200.htm

National

BJP disowns one CD, owns up another

Neena Vyas

It was released at the party's national council session in December 2006

The CD released by the BJP in December 2006.

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday disowned the communally inflammatory compact disc released to the media at a press conference in Lucknow on Wednesday, but owned up as "official" another CD released at its Lucknow conclave in December 2006.

"Yes, the CD released by the party and given to the media at the party's national council session in Lucknow is official party material," party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said in response to a pointed question.

The fact is that this "official CD" is also offensive and anyone seeing it — as this reporter has — would note that it is calculated to create hatred as it shows Muslims slaughtering a cow in a gruesome and primitive manner. This "official" CD also has footage on Hindu girls eloping or being abducted by Muslim youth with a voiceover saying that Muslim clerics encouraged this.

No complaint yet

However, it seems that no complaint has been made to the Election Commission about this "authorised" publicity material, produced by the very same persons who made the "withdrawn CD." The publisher of both the CDs is Manoj Mishra, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit spokesperson till two days ago.