A founder member of the VHP who also happens to be Uma Bharati’s ‘‘guru’’, today criticised the outfit’s resolution demanding L K Advani take political sanyas. Vishvesha Teerth Swamiji of Pejavar Math also criticised the VHP for ‘‘straying from its original purpose of uniting the Hindu community.’’ The influential ‘‘sant” was present at the VHP’s Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal meeting at Hardwar and had opposed the resolution there. In Delhi for a day, the swami explained why he had opposed the resolution. He said in a statement, ‘‘I am opposed to both the content and language of the resolution. I believe the use of asanyat and asabhya bhasha (unrestrained and uncivil language) does not suit the VHP which is supposed to provide margdarshan (guidance) to Hindu society. Sants can never endorse it.’’ He went on to say,‘‘The use of such language to deride a widely admired leader like Advani, who has a long record of service to the nation and also the Hindu cause, has bewildered Hindu society.’’ The swami said he had rung up Advani from Hardwar before the resolution, requesting him to meet the sants ‘‘and dispel any wrong impressions.”. Advani was willing to do so but the resolution was passed before a meeting could take place. The sant said it was ‘‘both astounding and unfortunate’’ that the VHP resolution did not have a word of appreciation for Advani’s visit to the Katas Raj temple in Pakistan. ‘‘If invited, I am ready to go to Pakistan on a goodwill journey along with my fellow Hindu sants and visit the Katas Raj temple,’’ he said. Use of unrestrained and uncivil language does not suit the VHP .Sants can never endorse it — Pejavar swami Vishvesha Teerth Echoing the editorial in the RSS weekly Panchjanya, the swami said the VHP’s ‘‘main priority should be to work for the complete eradication of untouchability, uplift of the rural poor and slum-dwellers.revival of our cultural and spiritual heritage and resistance to forcible conversions’’. He urged the VHP to ‘‘abandon extremist positions’’ and language which would project ‘‘a wrong and unflattering image of the Hindu movement in the eyes of the international community’’.
