The Hindu : National : Sangh Parivar exploiting religion for power: V.P. Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 09, 2004

National

National

Sangh Parivar exploiting religion for power: V.P. Singh

By Javed M. Ansari

NEW DELHI, NOV. 8. The former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh, has accused the Sangh Parivar of exploiting the Hindu religion to capture political power.

In a free-wheeling conversation conducted from his hospital bed, Mr Singh said the Sangh Parivar's manoeuvrings on the temple issue amounted to "political marketisation of religion." The biggest threat to the great religion was from within its fold "from those who are using it merely as an instrument in their power game."

Referring to the BJP's decision to return to its core issues such as Ram temple, Mr. Singh said it was evident that the party was getting ready to exploit the issue once again.

`Advani must apologise'

To a question on the Ayodhya issue, Mr. Singh called on the BJP president L.K. Advani, to apologise to the nation for having "dragged the country through a burning cauldron," for over 15 years. "This was precisely what I had suggested to him as Prime Minister. He rejected the proposition and the whole country had to experience its disastrous consequences."

Mr. Singh said the National Front Government headed by him had deputed its chairman, N.T. Rama Rao and Lalu Prasad, to dissuade Mr Advani from proceeding with his rath yatra and to accept the Government's position of waiting for the courts to pronounce their verdict on the temple issue. "We tried our best. Both Rama Raoji and Mr. Lalu Prasad sat on a dharna outside his house but he refused to budge, saying that the courts could not adjudicate on issues of faith. Now, after 15 long years, he says: `let the courts decide.' The least he can do is apologise for all that happened in the intervening period."

Fuel price hike

He called on the Government to try and evolve a consensus among the political parties on the question of price of petroleum products. "Everybody should sit together and decide the profit margin of oil companies and the amount of subsidy that the Government can bear without jeopardising development," he said.

A transparent system based on an agreed formula would make it difficult for any government to hike petroleum prices just to raise the revenue beyond the fair price permissible.

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