|
Sangh Parivar : The war within continues |
 |
There is no end to the internal warfare in the Sangh Parivar which was triggered by BJP President L.K. Advani’s remarks in Pakistan about Jinnah’s secular credentials.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has again asked Advani to apologise for the remarks and to quit both as BJP president and as leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Advani has struck back, saying that he will not succumb to the VHP’s diktat and pressures. The BJP shed its non-committal stance last week and launched a counter attack on the VHP seeking an apology from the Parishad leaders for calling Advani a “traitor.” The party also asked the VHP to mind its own business.
Breaking his week-long silence, Advani said he chose to face the situation rather than resort to escapism. “The developments which I underwent recently have relation to Gita and Mahabharta, he said while releasing a book on Bhagwad Gita, Timelessly Pertinent.
Citing a section of the book stating “escapism is detrimental to any great achievement,” the BJP president said Gita had “consciously or unconsciously an impact on me during the phase I underwent recently. I decided to stand by my conviction and face the situation rather than resort to escapism.”
On the storm set off in the Sangh Parivar by his comments on Pakistan’s founder, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the BJP president said he had earlier also, in February 2004, referred to the same August 11, 1947 speech of Jinnah in the Constituent Assembly which, he added, had gone unnoticed at that time.
Making it clear that the concept of Akhand Bharat (undivided India) was no more relevant, Advani said his party had never advocated it except for during the period soon after partition. Quoting Jan Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyay, BJP chief said he had made it clear that after partition, Pakistan had become a sovereign country like India and that he could not imagine either of the countries giving up their sovereignty.
Vajpayee supports Advani
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has come to Advani’s rescue and asked the BJP to hit back at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad for asking Advani to quit politics. Vajpayee is understood to have conveyed his views to BJP leaders including senior vice president Venkaiah Naidu who spoke to him after the VHP adopted a resolution at its Haridwar conclave, demanding Advani’s ouster. Another veteran BJP leader J.P. Mathur said that it is time for the VHP to stop its unwarranted political interference and take up social work. Venkaiah Naidu told reporters at Chennai that the VHP should mind its own business and not talk about the BJP.
At its Haridwar conclave which ended on June 15, the VHP had asked the BJP to replace Advani with a pro-Hindutva chief, demanding that the party should not be allowed to turn into “Bharatiya Jinnah Party.” A resolution adopted by the conclave demanded that Advani should apologise to Hindu society for his attempts to `appease’ Muslims. The resolution also castigated Advani for what it called “accepting the description of the disputed structure at Ayodhaya as Babri Masjid and his statement that its demolition was the saddest day of his life.”
In a related development, RSS ideologue and former spokesman M.G. Vaidya attacked the BJP president for withdrawing his resignation. He also criticised the party for rejecting Advani’s decision to quit.
NDA supports Advani
NDA convener George Fernandes has said that the developments in the BJP will not affect the prospects of the NDA constituents in the coming Assembly elections in Bihar. Addressing a news conference at Gulbarga, in Karnataka, on June 15, he said Advani’s resignation and its withdrawal are internal affairs of the BJP and will not affect the NDA. Fernandes said the NDA endorsed Advani’s statement on Jinnah.
|
