The Hindu : Congress hits out at VHP, Bajrang Dal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 14, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Congress hits out at VHP, Bajrang Dal

By Our Special Correspondent

SHIMOGA Sept.13. The Shimoga District Congress Committee (DCC) has condemned the VHP and Bajrang Dal's alleged attempts to stir up communal passions in Sagar town to derive political mileage.

The Vice-President of the DCC, R. Prasannakumar, told presspersons here on Saturday said that the bid to ransack the Congress taluk office during the recent bandh was a cowardly act.

He said the Sangh Parivar, which could not stomach the progress made by the Congress Government in the State, was out to incite communal hatred only to bring discredit to the Government.

Mr. Prasannakumar urged the district administration to arrest the mischief mongers and ensure communal peace and harmony in Sagar town, which had never witnessed a communal disturbance before.

The General Secretary of the DCC, N. Ramesh, however, said what happened at Sagar was not a communal disturbance but a criminal act.

Referring to the standoff over the immersion of the Hindu Sanghatan Mahamandali's Ganesha idol in Shimoga city, Mr. Prasannakumar said the district administration had taken the right step in banning the immersion procession since it would have caused a law and order problem.

He said there was no need for the organisers to hold the immersion procession this year as they had suspended it for seven years. When pointed out that the Shimoga Municipality President, M.K. Sureshkumar, who belonged to the Congress, was involved with the mahamandali, he said the party leadership had taken note of it.

When asked whether he would take any initiative to resolve the stalemate, the local MLA, H.M. Chandrasekharappa, said he did not want to commit himself in the matter. But he certainly approved of the action being taken by the district administration to deal with the situation.

Mr. Prasannakumar said the DCC would convene a meeting soon to discuss the row over the immersion processions in Shimoga and Sagar.

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