Parivar corners govt over Ayodhya

Centre's tactics to disrupt congregation of VHP activists not correct: RSS

The siege of Ayodhya by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers today turned into a war within the Sangh Parivar. Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani had a meeting with Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS) chief K Sudarshan on how the congregation in Ayodhya should be handled.

The Prime Minister called a meeting of Advani, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh and party president M Venkiah Naidu to review the emerging situation in Ayodhya.

And the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted angrily to VHP secretary Pravin Togadia's remarks criticising the Prime Minister and warning communal violence, terming them "non-serious".

Obviously on RSS counsel, the government scaled down measures to sabotage the October 17 meeting. Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand was asked to coordinate how trains could be prevented from being diverted. Trains going through or near Ayodhya had been diverted by the central government to prevent VHP cadres from massing at Ayodhya.

Efforts were also made to see that VHP workers were not harassed as reports trickled in of how the Central Reserved Police Force had manhandled a group of women activists coming to Ayodhya from West Bengal.

RSS spokesman Ram Madhav outlined what was annoying workers. He said the RSS supported the October 17 programme planned much in advance by the VHP and said the VHP wanted to be democratic about the darshan of devotees in Ayodhya.

So the central government's tactics in trying to disrupt this""by diverting trains and deploying the CRPF, both controlled by the Centre ""was "not correct". Nor was the imposition of Section 144 of the CrPC and lathicharges.

While emphasising that the RSS was not supportive of allegations against the Prime Minister that were of a personal nature, he said the government "should try and smoothen the path of the devotees wanting to visit Ayodhya, not put more hurdles in their path".

The BJP, meanwhile, reacted sharply to Togadia's remarks criticising the Prime Minister. Prakash Javadekar of the BJP said: "We do not take the remarks seriously".

The RSS warned that Rambhakts were angry and if they were provoked, the state government that controlled law and order should be prepared for retaliation.

Leaders said the action of Ayodhya district magistrate Deepak Kumar of putting up signboards for direction to the temple that said "Ayodhya" and "Babri Masjid" in brackets was unseemly and clearly motivated by political compulsions.

Togadia also met the RSS chief to discuss the plight of workers who had begun to gather at Ayodhya to reaffirm their commitment to building a Ram temple but had been lathicharged and taken into preventive custody. Sudarshan spoke to both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.

Before October 17, the challenge for the government is managing the VHP rally in Delhi tomorrow. After the warning that they should not treat Ayodhya pilgrims as delinquents, the central government will have its kid gloves out tomorrow.