VHP plays moral police

VADODARA, Sept 26: In keeping with their national policy', the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal have decided to hold a black-ba...

VADODARA, Sept 26: In keeping with their national policy8217;, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal have decided to hold a black-badge protest outside the Gandhi Nagar Gruh, the venue of the Miss Vadodara 19998242; contest, on Monday.

President of the city unit of the Bajrang Dal Neeraj Jain told Express Newsline that the two organisations would be joined by the Swaminarayan sect, the Gayatri Parivar, the Vaishnav Samaj and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, among other organisations, in their protest.

High drama followed when the organisers approached Jain for a compromise. 8220;I asked them, Will you allow your sisters and mothers to parade in such shows?8217; They replied in the negative8221;, he said. Jain reportedly told the organisers that if their answer had been in the affirmative, he wouldn8217;t have opposed them.

Jain told Express Newsline that anti-pageant volunteers would also talk to the parents of the participants and try to convince them to withdraw from the contest.

When asked if the VHP and the BD wanted the show to be cancelled, Jain refused to give a direct answer, but said, 8220;Our protest is in keeping with our national policy.8221;

It may be mentioned that fashion shows in Surat and Navsari have been either disrupted or cancelled following Bajrang Dal protests recently.

Deputy Commissioner of Police South Mohan Jha said adequate police personnel would be deployed outside the venue as the police expected some trouble on Monday.

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Monday8217;s is the second venture of Cops Group, a little-known organisation formed by M S University students in late-1997.

Cops general secretary Amit Bharadwaj said 16 contestants would vie for the title over four rounds. 8220;Though the contestants will wear jeans, they have been strictly instructed not to wear minis or shorts, or anything that can be construed as indecent or vulgar8221;, he told Express Newsline. 8220;The audience will have our parents as well.8221;

Interestingly, the Cops Group8217;s first contest 8212; held on February 14, 1998, at the same venue 8212; featured contestants in minis and shorts, but did not attract any trouble. But Bharadwaj and Vishal Bhatia, another office-bearer, maintained that the change to 8220;traditional outfits8221; had nothing to do with the threat of the VHP and the BD.

All participants in the contest belong to Vadodara; some are outsiders living in the MSU hostels. Most of the contestants, in fact, are MSU students. The 16 finalists were chosen from 26 applicants after an audition. Four teams will also compete in a group dance competition, to be held simultaneously.

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The entry is by tickets and invitation passes. Bharadwaj claimed the organisers expected a turnout of about 1,000 people.