The Samajwadi party and the BJP were today accused of "match fixing" by Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma over the Uttar Pradesh government's ban on VHP's planned yatra from Ayodhya amid an escalating political row.
The BJP was also accused by Congress of trying to "communalise and polarise" politics for electoral gains in the wake of the threat by the Sangh parivar oufit to go ahead with the yatra defying the ban.
"Food Security Bill is hanging. I am not speaking against Mulayam Singh Yadav. There is match fixing. This is a case of friendly fight," a smiling Verma, a Union Minister, told reporters when asked about the controversy over the ban.
BJP said it was not favour of the ban while VHP and RSS wanted the Akhilesh Yadav government to reconsider its decision to disallow the yatra.
"If there is a law and order problem, the police machinery could step in but by banning the yatra, they brought it to the centre stage, which is something that UP government could have avoided", senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said the yatra was "obvious from the day Amit Shah (Narendra Modi's close aide) was made BJP general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh."
"There is nothing new in it....Because that is their agenda--communalise, polarise and try to win an election. That is BJP's formula, BJP's strategy from the beginning."
Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal steered clear of questions about Verma's charge of match-fixing between SP and BJP on the yatra issue.
"I cannot say that there was match-fixing. How can I say that. I cannot comment on what Verma said or not. I have not heard of that," he said.
Amid the row, the SP got the support of Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan, who said the UP government has taken a "correct decision".
Erstwhile BJP ally JD(U) termed as "absurd" VHP President Ashok Singhal's threat to the UP government that it will face "adverse consequences" if force was used to enforce a ban on its proposed yatra.
"Who is he (Singhal)? Is he a thekedaar of Hindus? I am also a Hindu. Will he decide for me? What is this VHP?...Who accepts VHP as the leader of Hindus? Who is he to issue threats," party President Sharad Yadav said.
Citing Supreme Court directives to maintain status quo at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the UP government on Monday denied permission to VHP's 'Chaurasi Kosi Yatra' (pilgrimage), scheduled between August 25 and September 13 and aimed at giving a push to its Ram Temple cause.
