New Delhi: After the VHP announced an aggressive mass movement against "vilification" of Hindu religious leaders and the army, the Sangh Parivar is set to make it a major poll plank.
The Parivar campaign has been designed along a familiar pattern, as seen during the Amarnath agitation and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The parent body lays down the ideological basis addressing the cultural and social aspects, the political wing, BJP, talks of even-handed approach while talking only of Hindutva issues, and the VHP and Bajrang Dal carry out the campaign to protect and promote Hindu interests as they see them. Leaders of all Parivar outfits participate in the VHP programme.
On Monday, VHP international general secretary Pravin Togadia announced the campaign, launching a vicious attack on the central and Maharashtra governments and accusing Congress chief Sonia Gandhi of "taking revenge on Hindus at the Popes behest" by implicating seers and soldiers in fabricated cases. He said leaders of all Sangh-affiliated organisations decided at the Panipat conclave on Sunday to give a strong reply to the governments conspiracy to "malign Hindu religious leaders and patriots".
The BJP joined in, coming out strongly against the arrests of Hindu religious workers and accusing the Congress of politicising the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) and giving a communal colour to terrorism.
"The Bharatiya Janata Party charges the Congress Party of communalising the sensitive issue of terrorism and adopting a policy of spit amp; run through baseless allegations against nationalist organisations," party spokesman Prakash Javadekar said, adding that the arrests began after the BJP made an issue of terrorism in the wake of the series of bombings at various places in the country and found strong support from the people.
Accusing the Congress of viewing terrorism from a communal angle, Javadekar said the BJP never spoke in terms of Islamic or Christian terrorism, but the Congress was doing it with an eye on the assembly elections (in six states) and the Lok Sabha elections next year.
"The same Congress government in Maharashtra suspended the inquiry by the same ATS into the serial bombings on seven suburban trains in Mumbai. And now, they are framing Hindu leaders without evidence. False news is being strategically planted in the media by the ATS and the agency is being misused for political motives," he charged.
Javadekar said several Congressmen were hand in glove with terrorists. "A Congress workers name cropped up in the recent Guwahati blasts. On earlier occasions, even Congress ministers were found having links with terrorists," he said.
