The Samajwadi Party’s move of imposing a ban on VHP’s yatra has undoubtedly paved the way for a polarization of votes thereby giving an opportunity to both the SP as well as the saffron party to consolidate their vote banks ahead of the 2014 lok Sabha elections. If the SP is making an all out effort to win over the minorities, come what may, the beginning of the VHP yatra is a precursor to BJP’s Hindu card and its focus on the Ram Temple as a major issue in the lS polls.
It was only after the Akhilesh Yadav Government decided to put its foot down and disallowed the Yatra that the minority community finally reposed its confidence in the SP Government. Earlier the closed door meet between the SP leadership and the VHP had raised suspicion in the minds of the minorities and they were getting restless.
Senior minister Shivpal Singh Yadav had hastened to state that “The SP had never compromised with the communal focrces and the party will do its utmost to safeguard the interests of the minorities as it has done in the past”.The SP reminded how its contribution in protecting the Babri Masjid during its tenure in the past and reiterated its commitment towards the Muslims.
But the sulking senior minister Mohd Azam Khan pulled a surprise by raising objections to the SP-VHP meet. The minister perceived as the Muslim face in the party disagreed with the very necessity for the meeting and refused to be convinced by the argument of the SP leadership. His stance seems to have gone down well among a section of the minorities, who maynot be vocal in voicing their views but are still skeptical. He pointed out,“Muslim sentiments are hurt if our leaders even meet those who are responsible for the demolition of the Babri mosque,” he said in a statement.
Although political circles are of the view that Azam Khan’s step could be a ploy of the SP in soothing the ruffled feathers of the Muslims. However another section feels that it could be Khan’s independent views as he has in the past crossed the path of the SP leadership when Mulayam Singh Yadav had joined hands with the Ayodhya poster boy Kalyan Singh, who was at that time ousted from the BJP.
For the VHP, denial of permission seems to be a boon in disguise as it would get an ample opportunity to consildate its votes. Earlier its ‘Purna Ahuti Mahayagya’ or the programme related to chanting of Hanuman Chalisa in every home has remained non-starters and the proposed ‘out-of-season’ yatra would have probably met a similar fate.
Though VHP leader Swami Chinmayanand said the VHP would go ahead with its yatra despite the denial of permission, sources said that the protest would be symbolic. A senior BJP MP said,“The ban should actually be welcomed by the VHP because it has become a face saving for them. Some of their programmes had ceased to enthuse the public on the Ram temple issue. The yatra had failed to drum up expected support and the VHP should be thankful to the Akhilesh government for stopping it. In fact, many people came to know about the yatra when permission was denied.”