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We do not support violence: BJP

Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday condemned the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Lakshmanananda and some inmates of his ashram in Orissa.

As for the violence during the VHP-led bandh in the State, in which houses of Christian tribals were torched and several persons died, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad’s comment was: “We do not support violence.”

Asked whether the party also condemned the violence that led to the death of several persons, including the one who was paralysed and could not run away from a home that was torched, Mr. Prasad said he had said what he wanted to say.

In a statement, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K.S. Sudarshan was critical of the Christian missionaries who were “active in proselytising simple and unassuming people belonging to the Kondh and other tribes.” He said Swami Lakshmanananda, killed by miscreants two days ago, had made “relentless efforts” to “put the brakes” on conversion to Christianity and was “able to bring the converted tribals back into the Hindu fold.” “Because of this, he [Lakshmanananda] had become an eyesore for the missionaries,” Mr. Sudarshan claimed.

The statement of August 24, sent to newspapers on Tuesday, was critical of the Naveen Patnaik government for not giving enough security to Swami Lakshmanananda. Mr. Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal is a partner in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

While four or six suspected culprits have been arrested, the BJP and the RSS called for “immediate apprehension of the guilty.” But neither the RSS nor the BJP mentioned a word about apprehending those who had indulged in torching several homes in Kandhamal and Bargarh districts, where violence was reported on Tuesday.

NCM sends team

The National Commission for Minorities has sent a team to the troubled area and asked for an inquiry into the activities of Swami Lakshmanananda and “his role in inciting violence.”

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