Pune: Decrying media reports that the "Pratapgarh Andolan" slated for September 12 has been postponed, VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) today (Sep 10, 2004) said nothing would stop it from achieving its objective of clearing the unauthorised construction at the Pratapgarh Fort, remnant of the great Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji's heritage in Maharashtra.

Around 50,000 VHP and Bajrang Dal activists would assemble at Pratapgarh in Satara district on September 12 to protest the unauthorised construction by the Hazrat Mohammed Afzal Khan Memorial Trust at the Pratapgarh Fort, VHP's regional secretary Prof Vyankatesh Abdeo said in Pune this morning.

"We plan to carry out demonstrations in a peaceful and democratic way," Abdeo said.

Questioned if the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists would be armed and taking any equipment with them to demolish the Moghul satrap Afzal Khan's memorial, the VHP's regional secretary said, "The activists would be empty-handed. But one cannot say anything about the reaction of the mob to a particular situation at a given time."

Referring to the ongoing case in the Bombay High Court, Abdeo said the Maharashtra Government should file an affidavit immediately before the High Court relating to the unauthorised construction by the Hazrat Mohammed Afzal Khan Memorial Trust at the Pratapgarh Fort.

The Bombay High Court had on September 7 issued notices to Union Government, Maharashtra Government and the collector of Satara district over their alleged apathy towards a historical monument and its adjoining land where illegal constructions have cropped up.