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VHP leader on hunger strike to 'give strength' to PM

As Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf began his three-day tour to India Saturday, senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Acharya Dharmendra began a two-day hunger strike to "give strength" to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the summit talks.

"The hunger strike is aimed at giving strength to our prime minister so that he does not get carried away emotionally and make any blunder for which the nation would have to pay heavily later," a VHP spokesman said.

The VHP leader Friday demanded cancellation of the summit terming it as a "meaningless exercise" and had a dig at Vajpayee's "liberal outlook, emotional nature and poetic heart".

"Musharraf is not worth talking to. No one trusts his motives. He has rejected both the Simla and Lahore agreements. There is no guarantee that he will stand by the decisions taken at Agra," said Acharya Dharmendra.

He also criticised the government, saying it was "going out of its way to receive Musharraf as if he is our master and any annoyance on his part would deprive us of his benevolence".

"Musharraf is coming here for pilgrimage and discussions with the Hurriyat Conference at our expense. We should rather spend the money on the welfare of our martyrs," he said.

PTI

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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