VHP yatra: Zero tolerance

The district administration issued prohibitory orders on Saturday banning the assembly of four or more persons in the entire Panchmahals and...

The district administration issued prohibitory orders on Saturday banning the assembly of four or more persons in the entire Panchmahals and banned the entry of VHP leaders Pravin Togadia and Acharya Dharmendra to Godhra, where the Parishad plans to hold a dharma sabha on Sunday.

By late afternoon, the Science College ground was cordoned off as columns of SRP and RAF moved in, taking positions at all possible entry points to the 43 acre ground.

Earlier in the day, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ashok Narayan told a conference of IPS officers in Gandhinagar not to toe the line of political bosses: ‘‘The world is watching you with both telescope and microscope. The onus is on you to create an atmosphere conducive to free elections.”

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Asked if the police would be asked to effect preventive arrest of VHP leaders, Narayan said, ‘‘It depends on how the situation develops in the next few hours’’ but made it clear that VHP leaders attempting to defy the ban would be arrested.

The VHP, however, maintained that the padshahi yatra would be taken out as planned, even if it meant courting arrest. ‘‘We are going ahead with the yatra not because we plan to go against law or anybody but because it’s our right’’, said Acharya Dharmendra.

He also had a dig at the Prime Minister for endorsing the ban on the yatra: ‘‘It’s unfortunate for the democracy…. If the Prime Minister does not trust the VHP, we do not trust him either’.’

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