SURAT, DECEMBER 13: All Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office-bearers in the Dangs resigned from the party on Saturday, expressing solidarity with the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM), which is facing censure of sorts from the Government. The move is being as an apparent tactic to pressurise the State Government to soften its stand on the HJM, which has planned a massive rally on December 25 at Ahwa.Confirming the spate of resignation in the Dangs, South Gujarat Bajrang Dal chief Harish Surati told The Indian Express that more than 200 BJP members have quit the party. The resignation came after Dangs police detained 48 HJM activists who wanted to take out a rally in Ahwa on Saturday to ``celebrate the release'' of the organisation's president Janu Pawar. The Manch had also given a bandh call to protest the arrest of Pawar.The HJM leader was arrested on Thursday night from a village for distributing pamphlets with inflammatory slogans. He was later released on bail on Friday.The prominent BJP office-bearers who resigned on Saturday include BJP Dangs district president Ramesh Chaudhary, youth BJP president Vijay Bhoye, president of BJP's scheduled tribe wing Babu Rao Gangude, district executive committee members Babubhai Desmukh, Dev Raj Pawar, Gamanbhai Gavali, Nanubhai Gaikwad, Sahjubhai Thakre and BJP women's wing chief Urmilaben.BJP State Secretary Sanjay Joshi refused to comment on the en masse resignation of party office-bearers in the tribal district - in the news of late for all wrong reasons. ``I won't comment. It would be better if you talk to BJP spokesman or general secretary Jayanti Kevat,'' Joshi said. However, despite repeated efforts neither of them could be contacted.BJP sources, however, said Joshi has directed some senior state-level party office-bearers to diffuse the situation and persuade angry party members to withdraw their resignations. ``But the state leaders are unlikely to succeed because the issue now is a circular issued by the Home Minister, banning any organisation from holding rallies on festive days of other religions. There was no need for issuing such a circular,'' said a senior BJP member.The Dangs unit of the BJP has apparently put the State Government in a Catch-22 situation. ``If the State Government does not withdraw the circular, which is unlikely, the angry BJP members of the Dangs will not return to the BJP fold,'' said Devarshi Joshi, State youth BJP vice president and in-charge of Dangs district.Joshi will camp in Ahwa for two days to defuse the situation. Other senior state BJP leaders are also expected to rush to the Dangs. None in the party, however, appears to be confident about persuading the BJP members to withdraw their resignation. Even Joshi, the party's Dangs district in-charge, who was in the district on Saturday, said ``things have gone out of hand.'' Defending the en masse resignation, the South Gujarat Bajrang Dal chief said ``How can they continue in the party when their own Government arrests those propagating Hindutva?'' He said, ``We do not care about the BJP government. We are going ahead with our programme on December 25 at Ahwa. There will be five programmes, including those in Ahwa and Halmodi''.
