The Hindu : Front Page : Congress is caving in to the demands of fundamentalists: Rajnath

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Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008
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Congress is caving in to the demands of fundamentalists: Rajnath

Neena Vyas

BJP calls for nationwide hartal to protest revocation of Amarnath land transfer order

Restore order allotting land to Shrine Board: BJP
Demands revocation of Article 370

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has called a nationwide hartal for July 3 to coincide with a bandh called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in protest against revocation of the land allotment made to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.

After a meeting of party office-bearers here on Tuesday, BJP president Rajnath Singh demanded restoration of the order allowing the Shrine Board to use some forest land to create facilities for pilgrims.

No one and no political party had ever protested against government creating facilities for pilgrims gathering in large numbers at any shrine, Hindu, Muslim or Sikh. He said the government was providing facilities for the Haj and for various ‘urs’ programmes.

Shah Bano case

Mr. Singh charged the Congress with caving in to the demand made by Muslim fundamentalists, even separatist forces in Jammu and Kashmir, as it had done in the Shah Bano case nullifying a Supreme Court judgment through legislation.

The protests by the fundamentalists against provision of facilities to Amarnath pilgrims destroyed the secular fabric of the country.

By caving in to their demands, the Congress demonstrated that it was one with them in creating a “theocratic environment” in the State, said a resolution adopted at the meeting.

Special status

Mr. Singh reiterated the BJP stand favouring revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which conferred a special status on Jammu and Kashmir.

Advani absent

The party’s prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani did not attend the meeting.

It was noted by party leaders that after many years, the BJP virtually coordinated its ‘action plan’ with the VHP. While the VHP preferred to call the protest a bandh, the BJP described it as a hartal call, mindful of a court order declaring bandh calls punishable with fines.

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