Senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal, blamed the Akhilesh Yadav-SP government for trying to indulge in vote-bank politics by putting a restriction on the 84-Kosi parikrama, which was totally a religious ritual.
Talking to the media persons soon after his release from BR Ambedkar University Guest House here on Monday late afternoon, Singhal reiterated that the VHP will continue its agitation against the insult shown to the saints and sadhus, who were denied to perform their religious rites. He alleged that the state governments failed to protect the Holy River Ganga which is turning dirtier with every passing day when a huge fund was shown exhausted in the name of cleaning it.
Singhal called on the VHP activists and said that they should not fear with government action and that all the saints and seers were committed to perform religious ritual at Shree Ram’s birth place at and will built a Ram Temple. He condemned state government for doing politics over a religious issue and said that it hurts the sentiments of members of his community. Singhal, who is also patron of VHP claimed that they will continue their protest over Government’s action on the saints and seers who were collected at the bank of Saryu to take off chaurasi-kosi-yatra.
Meanwhile a report from Etah said that VHP activists burnt the effigy of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday morning violating section 144 in the district. The activists also raised anti-government slogans and escaped when police came to arrest them on Railway road. The VHP is also slated to bring out a big march and give their arrest later in the day in Etah city against the state government’s action. It may be mentioned here VHP general secretary Praveen Bhai Togadia, Convenor of the parikarma
Ramvilas Vedanti and former BJP MlA from Ayodhya lalu Singh , arrested in Ayodhya on Sunday morning, were shifted to a Guest House in Aliganj area of Etah district later in the night.
Besides Etah, VHP spokesman claimed that the activists also staged huge demonstration in all the districts particularly in lucknow, Meerut, Kanpur, Varanasi,
Allahabad and Gorakhpur. He said that they burnt the effigies of the chief minister and raised slogan against the dictatorial attitude of the government for stopping them from taking out a religious procession `chaurasi-kosi-parikrama’.
In lucknow, VHP leader Dinesh while protesting government’s action said that they will not allow chief minister Akhilesh Yadav or his colleagues from constructing Islamic Centre within the boundaries of chaurasi-kosi of Shree Ram Birth’s place in Ayodhya at Faizabad. He warned the Centre as well as State Government to immediately bring a Bill on construction of Ram Temple at disputed place or be ready to face the consequences.
The Convenor of the Bajrang Dal, Rajesh Pandey said that state government is giving shelter to anti-nationals and making an attack on others. ``Government should recognise who is anti-national before making a crack down in innocent saints and seers in the name of stopping chaurasi-kosi-partikrama", he said adding that the members of Bajrang Dal will not sit ideal and will fight with VHP leaders to perform the Yatra at any cost.