Fissures in VHP over Advani issue

Fissures seem to have developed within the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) over LK Advani's future in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This is despite a majority of delegates at the organisation's Margdarshak Mandal passing a resolution asking Advani to quit the BJP.

Ranged on one side of the divide were VHP leaders Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia, who had drafted the resolution. On the other side were members of the Akhara Parishad, led by Swami Parmanand Saraswati.

But, the sheer size of Togadia's support ensured that a stinging resolution, accusing Advani of having "betrayed" the Hindu cause, and urging the BJP to replace him with a pro-Hindu leader, was passed. The resolution also asserted that the BJP should not be turned into a "Bharatiya Jinnah Party".

The Margdarshak Mandal, which is VHP's policy-making body, adopted two resolutions""one on Advani and the other on the BJP""after attempts were believed to have been made to establish contact with Advani in Pakistan to persuade him to withdraw his now-controversial remarks.

The resolution on Advani, moved by general secretary of the Sant Samiti Hans Das, described him as a "betrayer" of the Hindu cause, asking him to quit politics and also as the BJP president, Leader of Opposition, and Member of Parliament.

Demanding that Advani apologise to the Hindu society for his "attempts to appease Muslims", the resolution said the previous BJP-led coalition at the Centre had failed to fulfil any of the agreed 40-point Hindu agenda.

However, Swami Parmanand Saraswati of the Akhara Parishad said the issue of Advani was an "internal matter" of the BJP and that there was no such demand in VHP. "We are not ready for any such discussions here."

"Advani had not given any clean chit to Jinnah. He had just quoted Jinnah's speech in the constituent Assembly that Pakistan should be a secular country," Saraswati said.

Referring to the BJP, Acharya Dharmendra of the VHP, however, said, "Those who came to power riding on the Hindu vote and promising a common civil code, abolition of Article 370 and the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, forgot their pledges, making the Hindu society more insecure."

He said the task of "hinduisation" of politics and militarisation of Hindus as incomplete and any party committed to the Hindu cause should adopt a saffron flag as its symbol as only this colour truly signified the true identity and the values of the religion.

Echoing the sentiment of an irate Sangh Parivar, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief LK Advani for his controversial statements in Pakistan and asked him to retire forthwith from politics for "insulting the country."

Coming close on the heels of the RSS rap on Advani's knuckles for his statement on Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah and rejection of "akhand Bharat" concept, VHP's apex decision-making body on the first day of the two-day meeting here today adopted a special resolution condemning his week-long visit to Pakistan.

The meeting of the Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal (central advisory board) being attended by the VHP top brass and Hindu religious leaders across the country, however, congratulated the BJP for categorically "rejecting" Advani's statement that Jinnah was secular.

"The manner in which Advani insulted India on Pakistani soil and remained adamant on his stand, the only option available to him is to take total sanyas from politics," VHP firebrand secretary-general Pravin Togadia told reporters reading out from the resolution.

Recalling Advani's visit to Jinnah's mausoleum in Karachi and his comments in the visitors book, it said, "Advani's statement not only hurt the 85 crore Hindus in India but also its 102 crore population.

However, some top religious leaders including Swami Parmanand Sarwasti of the powerful Akhara Parishad and Vishwesranand Maharaj, while agreeing with the views, expressed reservation over religious leaders passing resolution against an individual politician.

The VHP had been consistently opposed to both Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for "diluting Hindutva" and had supported RSS chief KS Sudarshan's controversial remark demanding that the duo pave the way for a younger generation leadership in the BJP.

Advani was prompted, among other things, to resign as party chief by Togadia's statement describing him as a 'traitor.' subsequently, the party had attacked Togadia for his "objectionable language."