Ahmedabad: Defying the Election Commission (EC) ban, the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) on November 14 announced that it will go ahead with its planned yatra from Godhra on November 17.

Accusing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) J M Lyngdoh of misleading the nation and trying to impose his will on the masses, VHP international general secretary Praveen Togadia told reporters that the "Padshahi yatra" would commence from Godhra, the place where 58 Ram Sewaks were burnt in a rail coach on February 27.

Calling Godhra the "Somnath of Gujarat", he said the yatra would end in Ahmedabad on December 6, the 10th anniversary of demolition of Babri Masjid mosque.

"I want to tell the entire nation that there will be no violence at all during our yatra. It is a yatra of saints and the religious freedom of expression should not be curbed," he said a day after the Election Commission asked the state government not to allow the yatra on the ground it will raise communal passions and disturb peace.

The VHP leader also denied there were plans for display of the replica of S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express that was torched on February 27, and said the report about it was "spread by media and not by VHP".

He also showed a written permission for the yatra that the Parishad had "reportedly" obtained from the district magistrate late on November 13 night.

Replying to a question, Togadia said 2000 saints from all over the country would join the yatra from various places and at certain places followers might congregate.

Maintaining that the EC had no right to ban VHP's yatra because it was a non-political organisation, Togadia said the EC was guided by "media reports" and the ban was like "killing a child before it is even born". The organisation had not even formally announced the programme to take out the yatra, he said.

He said Lyngdoh was trying to be the Chief Minister, chief secretary of Gujarat and Collector.

The VHP leader also charged the CEC with "terrorising" the Gujarat bureaucracy. "We have received permission to commence the yatra from Godhra and if it is stalled, the message that would go is that Lyngdoh has used fascist means to terrorise the bureaucracy here."

Attacking Lyngdoh, Togadia remarked "Though there are only two major political parties in Gujarat, it now seems that there is a third one, which is represented by Lyngdoh."

Accusing him of "Congress leanings", he said "In Mount Abu, Sonia Gandhi behaved as if she is the chief minister of 15 states, and now Lyngdoh is acting like a Congress president."

PTI