HEADLINES POLL ARCHIVES FEEDBACK SEARCH REDIFF NEWSLINKS US EDITION NEWS DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ARCHIVES
Sheela Bhatt in Ahmedabad
Unperturbed by the ban on religious rallies imposed by the Election Commission, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad plans to organise Ramdhun in 18,000 villages of Gujarat.
A top VHP source told rediff.com, "Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh has fallen into the trap laid by the Sangh Parivar. The ban on the yatra will benefit us more. We are in a win-win situation. We have outwitted the CEC."
State home department sources said the report sent to the CEC was quite vague and was 'approved' by the political bosses.
When asked if the state government had expressed the fear of riots in its report, a senior official said, "We didn't say explicitly that VHP's yatra will lead to riots."
On Wednesday, BJP Gujarat chief Rajendra Singh Rana, Home Minister Gordhan Zadaphia and convenor of Chief Minister Narendra Modi's Gaurav Yatra, Jayantibhai Barot, claimed the VHP was a separate organisation and questioned the EC's ban.
But even as they were making their claim, the VHP and BJP honchos were closeted in a meeting with the RSS top brass at the residence of former revenue minister Vajubhai Vala's residence in Gandhinagar to evolve a combined strategy.
A VHP source said, "We will announce our programme soon. Along with Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai, Jai Ram, we will also protest against the CEC's anti-Hindu bias."
ALSO SEE: VHP to defy yatra ban; BJP plays it safe
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
