Vajpayee Avoids Spelling Out Stand On Mathura

Atal Behari Vajpayee, the leader of the opposition, was under severe pressure yesterday in the Lok Sabha, as a range of politicians from the United Front and the Congress demanded that he define the BJPs position with regard to the Vishwa Hindu Parishads current parikrama programme around Mathura.

The issue dominated zero hour in the house for half-an-hour and Vajpayee did not rise to the bait to commit himself one way or the other. The BJP has dissociated itself from the VHP campaign; however, stating that in the House would not only have made it difficult for the BJP to change its stand later, but also have alienated many party supporters, including MPs.

Rajesh Pilot told Vajpayee the situation reminded him of what happened in November 1992 and in August 1992. The BJP had made a distinction between its programme and those of its sister organisation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, but BJP leaders had led the drive to mobilise kar sevaks for the congregation at Ayodhya that demolished the mosque there on December 6, 1992.

The agitation for the Mathura mosque is similar to the Ayodhya agitation. BJP leaders, including former BJP MP Chinmayanand, the BJPs Mathura unit president Banke Bihari Maheshwari and the BJPs local Mahila Morcha chief Sarla Srivastava, are associated with the parikrama and other agitations, though the party has officially dissociated itself from these.

While Vajpayee was defensive, the government gladly undertook to make a statement on the situation. The issue had been raised by CPI(M) leaders. Other members from non-bjp parties, especially those belonging to Left parties and Congress, demanded that the deputy speaker should give a direction to the government on the Mathura issue also.

The discussion was begun by Vajpayee, who focussed on the deteriorating law and order situation in UP.

Nirmal Chatterjee felt the Mathura issue would cover just not the law and order problem in Uttar Pradesh but would embroil the whole country.

He was supported by Congress chief whip Santosh Mohan Deb, who said while he appreciated the leader of the oppositions concern over the murder in Muzaffarnagar, the chair should also express concern over the VHP agitation.

He said the government should intervene to stop the VHP agitation.