Central team rushes to Orissa

NEW DELHI, Jan 27: The Union Government today moved swiftly as a high-powered team of Defence Minister George Fernandes, Human Resource D...

NEW DELHI, Jan 27: The Union Government today moved swiftly as a high-powered team of Defence Minister George Fernandes, Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Steel and Mines Minister Naveen Patnaik rushed to Orissa for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

And on his part, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee announced that he would observe a fast on January 30 to mark the 50th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi8217;s martyrdom and promote 8220;amity between faiths.8221; However, striking a discordant note both 8212; the Bajrang Dal and the VHP8211; vowed to step up their campaign against Christians in the country.

Both denied any involvement in the Staines murders saying that the killings were 8220;against the Hindu ethos8221; but echoed the same line: what happened was a 8220;natural reaction8221; of people against conversions.

Bajrang Dal convenor Surendra Kumar Jain went a step further to tell The Indian Express that all efforts would be made to stop the Christians8217; 8220;changai meeting8221; spiritualhealing sessions. 8220;Hum kisi ko cherenge nahin aur koi cherega to chorenge nahi8221; We will not provoke anyone but if provoked we will not spare them, Jain said.

8220;It is wrong to blame us for every incident,8221; said VHP8217;s senior vice president Giriraj Kishore. 8220;This practice should be stopped, or else we8217;ll have to take recourse to law.8221;

He claimed that the victims were carrying out conversions among the tribals and this had led to a lot of tension in the area. 8220;According to our information, Bargarh is not a leprosy-prone area,8221; Kishore said, adding, 8220;The leprosy-cure centre run by Staines was obviously a facade for other activities.8221;

He referred to a document 8212; AD 2000 Plan 8212; prepared by the Christian missionaries, and said they had fixed specific targets for converting Hindus in each state. 8220;In Orissa too, they had identified areas for carrying out their activities.8221;

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Kishore claimed that the Staines murders were because of intra-Congress rivalry. 8220;While Niranjan Patnaik, theminister for mass education, is related to Chief Minister J B Patnaik, industry and mines minister Jayadeva Jena is close to deputy Chief Minister Basanta Biswal. The incident at Manoharpur is a fallout of the rivalry between the Chief Minister and his deputy,8221; he said.

Meanwhile, BJP chief Kushabhau Thakre is yet to respond to the critical letter from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana asking for 8220;atonement.8221; Thakre said that he had not received such a letter. Asked whether Khurana8217;s act amounted to indiscipline, Thakre said he would comment after talking to Khurana who is presently on a visit to Andaman and Nicobar islands. Senior BJP leaders suggested that Khurana may be asked to explain what he meant by 8220;pseudo-Hindutva8221; forces being behind the attacks on Christians.