leader of the Opposition in the lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj on Saturday strongly defended the proposed VHP Yatra in Ayodhya and rejected reports that the SP and the Hindu outfit were acting in tandem to polarise the State politics.
The senior BJP leader claimed the tension was a result of statement being made (by certain leaders) and not the Yatra. She also defended the decision to take out the Yatra saying Hindu religion does not prohibit such activity in any period.
Sushma’s backing of the VHP came on a day her party and the Hindu outfit came under attack from the RJD, Samajwadi Party and the Congress in the lok Sabha.
“There is no tension due to yatra but due to all kinds of statements being made. If people avoid making comments, yatra will be finished peacefully,” Swaraj told reporters. She said 84-kosi parikrama yatras are allowed round the year in Hinduism. “There is a tradition among Jains that they stop their yatra at some time but not in Hinduism. Hindu saints keep up their yatra all the time,” she said.
The Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya janat Dal and the Congress members has on Saturday joined hands in the lok Sabha to attack BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits on VHP’s plans to hold yatra from Ayodhya tomorrow.
Prabhunath Singh (RJD) had asked the Centre to intervene saying VHP’s plans “supported by BJP” were not good for communal harmony in the country. He said political parties supporting the yatra should be derecognised. This led to a heated exchange between members of BJP and RJD. SP members supported their RJD counterparts.
Dara Singh Cahuhan (BSP) said the yatra was a case of “shadow boxing” between BJP and SP, which is ruling Uttar Pradesh. Shailendra Kumar (SP) said “some groups and political parties” were trying to divide the country on lines of religion.
“There should be a ban on using lord Rama’s name for political gains...The Government of India should ensure a ban on such things,” he said, as BJP members protested. Jagdambika Pal (Cong) said it is not a religious yatra but a political one.