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
