CEC anti-Hindu, says VHP; BJP plays it safe

When asked why the BJP was washing its hands of the yatra despite the VHP backing the Gaurav Yatra, Rana said ‘‘that’’ was the VHP’s decision. ‘‘But I can’t comment about the VHP yatra.’’

Minister of State for Home and Rakhial MLA Gordhan Zadaphia questioned: ‘‘What can we do? It’s the VHP’s programme, they’ll decide. It’s a separate organisation.’’ This despite the fact that the BJP mainly depended on the VHP for support for the Gaurav Yatra.

All through the nine phases, the VHP pumped in resources and organisational skills to ensure that the yatra remained in the limelight. The Gaurav Yatra was originally proposed by the VHP with the rath being a replica of the burning S-6 Sabarmati Express coach.

It was scuttled under pressure from the Centre, giving way to Modi’s Gaurav Yatra. Even convenor of Gujarat Gaurav Yatra Jayantibhai Barot was guarded. ‘‘VHP is a religious organisation. I don’t know whether the EC has the power to stop them from organising their programme. But the BJP can’t do anything as we’re a political party and we have to listen to the EC,’’ he said.

Gujarat Government spokesman Purshottam Rupala initially declined to comment, but later said: ‘‘We will follow the commission’s order and extend full co-operation for the conduct of free and fair elections.’’

However, it was the VHP that stepped up the offensive. Speaking to The Indian Express, its senior vice-president Giriraj Kishore said the EC order was an ‘‘infringement of our fundamental right to carry out our religious activities.’’

He said that the programme for December 6, marking the demolition of the Babri Masjid, was an annual feature. There could be no justification for stalling it, he said. ‘‘As of now, we have decided to go ahead with the yatra, defy the ban order and court arrest,’’ said Kishore.

Senior office-bearers will meet tomorrow to decide on the next step. VHP sources said the 21-day yatra will kick off from Godhra and cover constituencies in the Panchmahals, the Dangs, Surat, Vadodara, Dahod, Bharuch in South Gujarat, Kheda and Anand in Central Gujarat, Ahmedabad, Sabarkantha, Mehsana and Gandhinagar districts. Haresh Bhatt, former national vice-president of Bajrang Dal who recently quit the VHP to contest the Assembly elections said the VHP’s yatra does not violate any EC rules.

‘‘We’ll go ahead. It does not come under the EC’s purview. The yatra will go on,’’ Bhatt said. The VHP is supposed to meet on November 15 to decide the yatra route. The ‘rath,’ which is supposed to carry a huge float replica of the burning Sabarmati Express coach, was designed and painted in Hyderabad and has reportedly been brought to Ahmedabad.

VHP sources said the location is being kept a secret till everything is ‘‘finalised.’’ After the VHP announced the yatra, the State Intelligence Bureau had warned that it could inflame communal passions and that provocative speeches during the yatra could escalate communal polarisation.