Top VHP leaders Pravin Togadia and Ashok Singhal were on Sunday arrested, while Swami Chinmayanand was placed under house arrest. The action follows a massive crackdown by the UP administration to enforce its ban on the controversial yatra, which was inaugurated by the saffron outfit in Ayodhya. Top VHP leaders Pravin Togadia and Ashok Singhal were on Sunday arrested in a massive crackdown by the UP administration to enforceits ban on the controversial yatra, which was inaugurated by the saffron outfit in Ayodhya. While Mr. Togadia was arrested from Ayodhya, Mr. Singhal was taken into custody at Lucknow airport. Mr. Singhal, who was not allowed to come out from the airport, asked, “Why am I being arrested, what crime have I done...They should tell me. There is Mughal rule in Uttar Pradesh, where saints and seers are being stopped from worship.” Mr. Togadia said demonstrations would be staged all over the country on Monday against the banby the UP government on the’Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra.’ “This is not a political yatra but a religious one and ban or oppressionresorted to by the government would not be tolerated at any cost,” he told reporters. “This movement would reach each and every village of the country and tomorrow protest dharnas would be staged at district headquarters all over the country,” Mr. Togadia said. Condemning the arrest, BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said the arrests were unfortunate as yatra was a religious affair and nothing to do with politics. Earlier, Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas Committee Chairman Nritya Gopaldas of Ram Janmabhoomi inaugurated the yatra by walking ten steps outside his temple before he was detained. “We have inaugurated the yatra. But this yatra should not be politicised. It is carried out all 12 months (not time-bound),” Mr. Gopaldas said. Ahead of the start of the yatra, former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti and sitting MLA Ram Chandra Yadav were arrested from Ayodhya. “Over 500 persons going to participate in the yatra have been arrested from across the State, where tight security arrangements are in place to prevent the yatra,” ADG, Law and Order, Arun Kumar said. A curfew-like situation is prevailingin the town as shops have been shut and Naya Ghat area has been cordoned off. Temporary jails have been set up by the government in Faizabad, Barabanki, Bahraich, Basti, Gonda and Ambedkarnagar, which lie in the yatra route. Swami Chinmayanand placed underhouse arrest Former Union minister and convener of 84-Kosi Parikrama, Swami Chinmayanand, was placed under house arrest in an ashram in neighbouring Shahjahanpur districton Sunday. Though the district officials maintained a silence over the matter, five sub-inspectors of police and 12 constables have been posted in Mumuksh ashram since early this morning and he was not being allowed to move out, sourcessaid. When contacted, Chinmayanand said, security forces posted there were even accompanying him on his morning walk and there were restrictions on his movement. Speaking to journalists last night, Chinmayanand accused the Samajwadi Party government of dividing the state on communal lines for vote bank politics. Till August 17, the state government was ready for the yatra but it bowed before one of itsministers (Azam Khan), he claimed, adding, had there been any problem in it Mulayam Singh wouldhave let him know during the over two-hour meeting with VHP leaders. The government’s decision had caused immense anger among sadhus and Hindu samaj, he added. The yatra, which was to remain confined to six districts of Uttar Pradesh, has become a national affair because of the ban, he said, adding that SP chief Mulayam SinghYadav had stated that no sadhus or saints would be allowed to take part in the yatra. Chinmayanand said that the decision to take out the yatra was taken during the Kumbh Mela earlier this year and is not something which has emerged out of the blue.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:54:01 +0000
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