Ayodhya: Hindus and Muslims here on Wednesday
condemned the Varanasi blast and termed it as a conspiracy to
sever cordial ties between both the communities and instigate
communal feeling.
"We are worried over the blast in the religious city of
Varanasi. Extremists are targeting the religious town to widen
the gap between Hindus and Muslims... they want to demolish
the communal harmony and Hindu-Muslim brotherhood to create an
atmosphere of instability. We deeply condemn the inhuman act
in Varanasi," Jamiat Ulema Hind leader Afzal Ahmad Khan told agency.
While a teacher Abdu Qaiyum said blasts in Malegaon,
Ajmer and now in Varanasi prove that extremists are trying to
instigate communal riots by targeting Muslims and Hindus
separately.
Similarly, Hindu saints here condemned yesterday's blast
which killed a child and injured 37 others. While protesting
against the incident, they burnt an effigy of "Atankvaad"
(terrorism).
Led by former MP Ram Vilas Vedanti, saints staged a
protest in Ayodhya and condemned the Centre's "appeasement
policy", which has led to spurt in terror activities by
encouraging terrorists, VHP spokesman Sharad Sharma said. They
also demanded immediate hanging of Afzal Guru, convicted in
2001 Parliament attack case, and Ajmal Kasab, lone surviving
terrorist in 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
A crowded bathing ghat was rocked a day after anniversary
of Babri Mosque demolition on December 6.
Mohammad Hashim Ansari, in the lone surviving petitioner
in the Ayodhya title suit case, said "demolition of Babri
Masjid that was done 18-year ago and the memories of that
black day has been faded from our minds. Who are those who
want to renew this wound? An unbiased enquiry must be done by
some secular personalities."
Mufti Ubaidur Rahman, Imam of city Jama Masjid Sarai,
said "Our brotherhood and Hindu Muslim unity is so strong that
those communal or extremist forces want to break it cannot
success. Government must act immediately to find out the real
culprits."
Echoing demands of Muslim representatives, Sharma said
"terrorists, who are inspiring such attacks, must not be
spared as it is not in the interest of the country."
He, however, regretted the parallels drawn between RSS
and SIMI by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and said
Home Minister P Chidambaram's 'saffron terror' statement has
actually encouraged the terrorists to carry out their
activities.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 08, 2010, 19:31