Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) working president Praveen Togadia reiterated that the proposed 84-Kosi parikrama will commence on scheduled time from Sunday despite of ban by the government.
''The parikrama is a religious affair, but SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav has given it a political look by imposing a restriction on it,'' Togadia told media persons in Ayodhya on Friday afternoon. The yatra will commence on slated time and day amid all the hurdles and restrictions put by the government, he added.
The VHP president further claimed that the 84-Kosi parikrama aims to promote temple construction movement on Shree Ramjanmabhoomi complex and the party is least concerned about which party will receive benefit, or which will be at a loss due to the parikrama. ''It is not any election rally, hence only saints will participate in it,'' Togadia clarified.
The VHP, Sangh parivar the Bajrang Dal and the Durgavahini activists and its office bearers were busy in mobilizing the seers and the residents of the adjacent villages situated in both sides of the parikrama route to participate and make it a success. The Convener of the chaurasi- kosi-yatra Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti told The Pioneer in Ayodhya on Friday that he had contacted the seers and sadhus of various temples to motivate them to participate in the parikrama . He said that on Friday he covered over 25 temples . The plan of the VHP was to start the parikrama with a massive gathering and give the message of protest against the ban order of State government, he added .
Meanwhile the joint convener of the Babri masjid action committee Hazi Akhlaq has criticized the ban order on parikrama and said that the political game plan between the BJP and the SP was exposed and the muslim voters had clearly understood it . The meeting with Ashok Singhal with SP leaders in a cordial manner had raised suspicion of the community, he said adding that later a ban on the Yatra had confused the entire fraternity. He said that the vote bank politics had communalized the temple city and had adversely affected the trade of the twin cities of Faizabad and Ayodhya .
Meanwhile in Varanasi, Kashi Sumerupeethadheeshwar Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Narendranand Saraswati said that the political parties should not try to indulge in politics over the proposed 84-Kosi parikrama, which will be a pure religious affair. ''I appeal to the political outfits and the leaders not to indulge in politics over this religious issue,'' Shankaracharya told media persons in Varanasi on Friday afternoon.
Reacting to government’s ban on the proposed Yatra, he said that that there is no need to put a restriction on the 84-Kosi parikrama slated to be held by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad from August 25 as it has hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. ''The same would have been imposed, had there been any untoward incident or any sort of violence,'' the saint further added. He asked the VHP to ensure that the parikrama is performed peacefully without any hassle. Swami Saraswati further asked the politicians to stop seeking votes in the name of lord Ram or any other religious matter.