Vishwa Hindu Parishad patron Ashok Singhal announced that the chaurasi-kosi yatra would continue even after the “atrocities” of the Uttar Pradesh Government which arrested thousands of saints to prevent a religious ritual. He also denied that the yatra had any political agenda.
Talking to reporters at the Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary guest house in Unnao where he was taken after being detained at the lucknow airport, Singhal criticised the UP Government for banning the peaceful “parikrama” of saints and seers. “The act of the UP Government is like stabbing at the back as it first gave a nod to the yatra and later backtracked,’’ he alleged.
“We will continue our agitation and force the state Government to allow us to participate in the “parikrama”,’’ he said while claiming that the VHP activists had already performed puja at Saryu ghat to start the yatra. The VHP leaders led by Singhal had met UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on August 17 and had 2-hour long discussion on its proposed yatra.
After the meeting, the VHP leaders said they had asked the SP supremo to mediate in the Ayodhya issue so that the Ram temple could be constructed in Ayodhya at the earliest.
But on August 19, the UP Government banned the VHP’s 84-kosi-yatra saying that it was against the tradition and a violation of the Supreme Court directive to maintain status quo at the disputed site in Ayodhya. Singhal said the aim of the yatra was to clear the obstacles coming in the way of construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya.
“The VHP is committed to the cause of Ram temple and will continue to fight for it on roads. The party activists will even sacrifice their lives for the temple,” Singhal told a select group of media persons.
The VHP patron said a country-wide agitation would be staged against the “illegal act” of the UP Government to prevent a religious function of sadhus and saints. Defending the 84-kosi yatra during this time of the year, Singhal said such a parikrama could be performed at any time of the year and there was no restriction on it.
“It is the political parties that are trying to take political mileage from our agenda,” he said. On Monday, the VHP will stage a massive protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Similar protests would also be staged in other parts of the country. The 84-kosi yatra was to be taken out from August 25 to September 13, around Ayodhya, covering six districts.