IANS, [RxPG] Allahabad, Feb 11 - Vishwa Hindu
Parishad
chief Ashok Singhal Sunday gave a call for forming
a Hindu political front even as he claimed his
organisation had supporters cutting across party
lines.
'Our objective is to form a Hindu political
front through the mobilisation of a strong army
of the Hindu voters,' Singhal told a press conference
here on the eve of the VHP-sponsored three-day
global Hindu meet.
Incessant rain since delayed the start of the
meet that was to be formally inaugurated Sunday
morning.
While listing out a number of Hindutva issues
that were to be taken up at the meet now commencing
Monday noon, he did not mince words in declaring,
'the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya
remains on top of our agenda.'
The VHP has for long been campaigning for a
magnificent temple in place of the makeshift
Ram temple that stands on the debris of the
16th century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in Uttar
Pradesh.
The international working president of the VHP,
who had all along been claiming that his outfit
would have nothing to do with politics, said:
'We believe in building Hindu politics.'
Singhal declined to comment when asked what
prompted him to look for the formation of a
Hindu party when its political ally, Bharatiya
Janata Party -, was already fulfilling that
role as a Hindu nationalist party.
To repeated queries if he did not consider BJP
as a Hindu political outfit, he shot back: 'Any
political party keen to don the mantle of a
Hindu party will have to come under our banner.'
'As far as Hindutva is concerned, we have strong
sympathisers in different political parties
including the Congress.'
Singhal claimed the VHP had 'staunch support
of a powerful Mumbai-based Congress leader',
though he declined to name the politician.
'One day, you will see the convergence of all
such Hindus under the common banner of a united
Hindu political front.'
Singhal said the VHP had not invited leaders
of any political party, including the BJP, for
the global meet expected to be attended by 200,000-300,000
Hindus.
Sources, however, said senior BJP leaders including
national vice president Kalyan Singh, state
BJP president Keshrinath Tripathi and two of
his predecessors Kalraj Misra and Vinay Katiyar
were set to participate in the conclave on the
sprawling banks along the Sangam or confluence
of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati
rivers here.
Since the rain led to the collapse of nearly
all 14,000 tents erected across the vast 300-acre
area allotted by the Uttar Pradesh government
for the conclave, tens of thousands of participants
drawn from different corners of the country
and abroad were busy shifting to alternative
sites in the town.
'We are grateful to the local administration
for allowing us to put up 200,000 of our dislodged
participants in 38 schools,' Singhal said.
