Carve up Kashmir and give Pandits a piece, says VHP

Today’s proceedings demonstrated a conscious attempt by the VHP to project a wider reach and appeal by drafting speakers from far-flung areas like Jammu (Mahant Ram Swaroop Dass), Assam (Pitambar Dev Goswami) and Kerala (Vedanand Saraswathi).

The apex policy-making body of the VHP unanimously adopted a resolution amidst chants of om, substituting for ayes, demanding a division of J-K into four units — separate states of Jammu and Kashmir Valley and two union territories, one for Kashmiri Pandits in the north east of Jhelum and the other, Ladakh.

The Mandal called for the creation of five-kilometre wide security zone under the army control along the India-Pakistan border and an immediate abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

The resolution charged the Farooq Abdullah government with an attempt to change the demographic character of the Jammu by settling Muslims on forest land.

Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas chairman Mahant Ram Chandra Dass Paramhans, who had handed a letter to the Kanchi Shankaracharya in March making a commitment to maintain a status quo at Ayodhya and honour a court verdict on the issue, said: ‘‘We will not abide by its verdict if it goes against our dharmashastras.”

Paramhans announced this in the presence of VHP working president Ashok Singhal, who will meet the Kanchi seer in Delhi on Tuesday. The seer is likely to resume efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute.

VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia, when asked about BJP spokesman VK Malhotra’s advice to the Parishad to abide by the court, said: ‘‘We articulate the sentiments of millions of Hindus. We do not care about what political parties think. It is for them to see whether or not they care for Hindu sentiments.’’