New Delhi, June 16: Apparently feeling ignored by the Centre`s latest Ayodhya initiative, a furious VHP today charged the BJP-led NDA government with "defeating" the Ram Temple movement and "trading" with the jehadi forces to capture power in the coming assembly and Lok Sabha polls. At a joint press conference, the VHP top brass including Ashok Singhal, Praveen Togadia and Giriraj Kishore also alleged that Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati was being kept in the dark on the Centre`s "trading" and asked the BJP to resign from the government and seek a fresh mandate if it was sincere in its commitment to building the Ram Temple.
"The Centre`s current effort is aimed at defeating the Ram Temple movement and restoring the Muslim veto in Indian politics. They are asking Muslims to take whatever they want but only give them credit for constructing Ram Temple, so that they can win next polls," Togadia said.
He alleged that in lieu of allowing the Ram Temple, the government was "trading with" opening up of 1,000 mosques protected by Archaeological Survey of India for Muslims to offer `namaaz`, nine per cent reservation for Muslims in government jobs, giving up Hindu claims on Kashi and Mathura, providing financial aid to madrassas and Rs 50 crore to "please" Muslim leaders.
Togadia alleged that the Centre was in touch with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the Shahi Imam of Delhi`s Jama Masjid and Nadwat-ul-Uloom. Claming that the Kanchi seer was realising that he was being made a "tool" by the government, Singhal alleged that "he was being kept in the dark on the deals."
At the press meet held on the eve of BJP`s brainstorming session beginning near Mumbai tomorrow, Togadia said while the VHP welcomed any "honest" effort to construct the Ram Temple, the outfit and Hindu religious leaders will not tolerate any effort that would demean the self-respect of Hindus and affect the integrity of the country in future.
He said though it was a "historical fact" that Muslim invaders in the past had demolished 30,000 temples and built 3,000 mosques over such sites, due to its "generosity" VHP was only demanding three sites - Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya.
"Instead of fighting jehadi forces, the NDA government is surrendering before them by supporting madrassas to ensure victory in assembly and Parliament elections. Today, they are foresaking Kashi for power. Tomorrow, they can give Kashmir to Musharraf," the firebrand VHP leader said in an apparent reference to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani`s suggestion to resolve the Kashmir issue in a "give and take" spirit. He asserted that Mathura, Kashi and Ayodhya were "non-negotiable" and "we will not tolerate any compromise on Kashmir."
Asking the government to come clean on the Ayodhya issue, Togadia said VHP would ask people to "democratically respond" to the Centre`s moves.
"The government`s talk of give and take on Kashmir is part of its policy of Muslim appeasement. We oppose any type of trading," he said.
Singhal said BJP had committed in its manifesto to build the ram temple and if it fails to pass a legislation, it should come out of NDA, get Parliament dissolved and seek a fresh mandate to build the shrine. Bureau Report