NEWSLINKS US EDITION NEWS DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ARCHIVES
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Friday criticised the Election Commission for adopting 'double standards'.
"The EC has decided to hold assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir when the state continues to reel under incidents of militant attacks, while polls in Gujarat have been deferred although a peaceful and conducive atmosphere prevails in the state," VHP international president Ashok Singhal told reporters in Allahabad.
Singhal said proper security arrangements should have been ensured before deciding the dates for elections in Jammu & Kashmir.
Referring to the communal carnage in Gujarat, he said it was a "spontaneous reaction" to the Godhra killings.
Singhal blamed the Muslim leadership in the country for encouraging jihadi elements and said they were responsible for the tense communal atmosphere in Gujarat and elsewhere.
"Communal violence will prevail until the Muslim community agrees to pledge to share the responsibility for maintaining peace in the country with their Hindu brethren," he said.
On the issue of constructing a Ram temple in Ayodhya, he said an emergency meeting of the VHP's 'Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal' (central advisory committee) would be held at Lucknow on September 28 to take stock of the progress and impediments in the resolution of the vexed issue.
Another meeting of 'Vridhad Dharma Raksha Samiti' would be held the next day to chalk out the future course of action, he added.
Singhal said the two bodies would also discuss the growing 'talibanisation' of madrassas, arms training being imparted to Muslim youths, religious conversions, and cow slaughter, and formulate a comprehensive action plan to deal with issues perceived as a threat to Hindus in the long run.
Regarding talks at various levels to break the deadlock between the two communities on the Ram temple issue, he said, "Such talks have been going on for the past 53 years without any positive outcome." The issue could only be resolved if Hindus were allowed to construct a grand temple to Ram at Ayodhya, he added.
Jammu and Kashmir Elections 2002: The complete coverage
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
