On VHP Yatra

Date: 
Friday, November 15, 2002

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

On VHP Yatra

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has announced that it will defy the Election Commission's prohibition of its communally charged `yatra' from Godhra on November 17th. The VHP, which is mainly responsible for the large-scale communal violence in Gujarat, is now being used for the purpose of fomenting further tensions during the elections. The BJP national leadership has also criticised the Election Commission's directive on the plea that all organisations have the right to conduct campaigns. This ingenuous plea cannot cover up the fact that the BJP plans to utilise the VHP and similar communal forces to vitiate the atmosphere and to benefit from the communal polarisation.

It is incumbent upon the state government and the administration to enforce the order of the Election Commission to prevent the programme being carried out. Firm action is called for, if the organisers of the `yatra' seek to create trouble.