Mumbai: Terming Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi's arrest as a "part of larger conspiracy to defame top Hindu religious leaders", VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) today (Nov 26, 2004) lamented lack of a political party to take up the cause of Hindu society and favoured revival of Janasangh.

Spotlight: Kanchi Jayendra Saraswathi's Arrest

"It is part of a larger conspiracy to malign character of top Hindu religious leaders by slapping fake cases against them and exhort people to embrace Christianity. Unfortunately no political power is working to safeguard the interest of Hindus and we favour revival of Janasangh", VHP President Ashok Singhal told a press conference in Mumbai.

Singhal blamed Congress President Sonia Gandhi for Shankaracharya's arrest and alleged, "she is acting at the instance of the Pope and the entire matter is linked to conversions".

When asked whether he had any proof about the Congress President's involvement in the entire episode, he replied in the affirmative but refused to divulge details.

The VHP leader was critical of top BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leaders, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani for "abandoning Hindus" and favoured revival of the Janasangh.

However, he toned down his attack on BJP saying, 99 percent of the party leaders were in favour of Hindutva cause while only one percent of them have abandoned it.

He suggested that the remaining one percent leave the saffron party.

"The BJP should shed its Gandhian socialism and revert on the plank of staunch Hindutva", Singhal said adding, "The party is making efforts (to revert to Hindutva) in this regard".