The Hindu : LJP promises ban on RSS, VHP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004

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LJP promises ban on RSS, VHP

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 30. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) headed by the former Union Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan, has promised to ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and some of its affiliates such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal. In its election manifesto released today, the LJP said it was "totally committed" to the concept of secularism and social harmony and promised to work with all political parties and individuals committed to ousting "fascist and unprincipled forces" from power.

Releasing the manifesto, Mr. Paswan accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sangh Parivar of attempting to advance their hidden agenda in the garb of a coalition government. "The National Democratic Alliance epitomises an unholy, unprincipled alliance and its only ideology is unabashed pursuit of power. Otherwise, how does one explain the co-existence of parties professing secular and socialist ideology with reactionary forces represented by the BJP,'' he said.

Mr. Paswan also released the first list of party candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. However, he named only one candidate (for Nalanda) in Bihar where he has been allotted eight seats as part of the LJP-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress-CPI (M) alliance. Of the remaining seven seats, it is certain that the sitting MPs — Mr. Paswan, his brother Ram Chandra Paswan and Pappu Yadav, an accused in the murder of Ajit Sarkar, a former CPI (M) MLA — will contest from Hajipur, Rosera and Purnea.

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