The Uttar Pradesh government has dented communal harmony in the state by banning the "84-Kosi Parikarma Yatra" of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Muslim intellectuals here said.
Razaullah Khan and others stated this at a meeting of the Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis.
Khan pointed out that only 200 Hindu holy men were expected to participate in the event. But by banning it, the Akhilesh Yadav government had turned the situation in favour of the VHP.
Humayun Murad said Hindus of Uttar Pradesh believed in peace and nothing would have gone wrong if the VHP yatra had been allowed.
Another professor, Shahabuddin Iraqi, said religious rights were enshrined in the constitution and everybody should be allowed to perform their rituals.
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Naseem Ashraf said the arrest of VHP leaders and other activists had impacted the communal harmony in the state.
The Forum passed a resolution demanding the release of all VHP leaders and activists.