New Delhi, May 02: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today took a critical view of the VHP's trident programme saying it marred the organisation's image even as efforts were made to hammer out a consensus on key economic issues and Ayodhya on the second day of the Sangh Parivar conclave here today. In his brief address to the 55-odd participants of the three day meeting, Advani wondered whether VHP was acquiring the image of a trident distributing organisation and whether it was good for the outfit's image, which had several "positive aspects" to its work including the 'Ekal Vidyalayas' (single teacher schools in remote areas), highly placed RSS sources told a news agency. He asked whether VHP was acquiring the image unwittingly or it consciously wanted to go ahead with it, the sources said.

VHP international working president Ashok Singhal and its firebrand secretary general Praveen Togadia sat silently and heard Advani's counsel, the sources said, adding both leaders did not respond.

The sources said Swadeshi Jagran Manch leaders S Gurumurthy and Murlidhar Rao expressed serious reservations over the government's economic policies, particularly disinvestment of the strategic oil sector and profit making Public Sector Units besides the process itself.
Bureau Report