BJP in two minds about VHP yatra, EC stands its ground

Unlike VHP, which spewed venom against CEC J.M. Lyngdoh, the BJP restricted itself to a criticism of his directive, avoiding any personal attack today.

BJP president M. Venkaiah Naidu told journalists at the party headquarters that ‘‘the EC’s decision to stop the yatra can at best be described as inappropriate. In a democracy, people must have the right and liberty to speak and the right to reach people”.

General secretary Arun Jaitley termed the commission’s orders ‘‘partial, unprecedented and inappropriate’’. He said the BJP was concerned over certain recent statements made by Lyngdoh.

According to Jaitley, Lyngdoh has described the people demanding elections in Gujarat as ‘‘mad’’. He had also made an unsubstantiated comment in a television interview that Farooq Abdullah wanted to release detained militants on the eve of J-K polls.

Jaitley said: ‘‘Every organisation, whether political, social or religious, has a right to campaign. It is not appropriate to anticipate something and then pass orders. In any case, it was for the local administration to ensure that law and order was maintained’’.

The EC, on the other hand, stood by its decision to ban the VHP yatra today, maintaining that it had gone by the state government’s assessment on the matter.

‘‘We carefully considered the Gujarat administration’s report on the situation that may arise if the yatra is allowed and only then did we issue the direction,’’ a Commission official said. ‘‘The report had categorically said that there was a possibility of a law and order situation arising if the yatra is allowed,’’ he added.

‘‘The report had also said that at such yatras intemperate language is used, which may fan communal tension. There was also a mention of the display of a replica of the S-6 coach that was burnt at Godhra as a cause for worry,’’ the official said. Lyngdoh, along with Election Commissioners T.S. Krishnamurthy and B.B. Tandon, briefed the special observers to be sent to Gujarat at a meeting today.