SP cashing on Muslim votes, hurting Hindu sentiments by banning VHP Yatra: Kalyan Singh

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster Kalyan Singh on Saturday condemned the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to ban the proposed Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) yatra to Ayodhya, and said the Samajwadi Party (SP) would be held responsible if the law and order situation deteriorates during the procession.

"This procession is not a political one, it is purely religious. It's a yatra taken out by the sants. There is no reason to ban this yatra. The UP Government is trying to create unnecessary problems. If there is a law and order deteriorates during this procession, Samajwadi Party would be responsible for this," he said.

"SP feels that they are losing out on Muslim votes, and they have hurt the sentiments of the sants and of Hindu people and I highly condemn this," he added.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Rajendra Choudhary on August 22 asserted that the 2002 Gujarat communal violence cannot be repeated in Uttar Pradesh and added that stern action will be taken against all those who conspire against raising communal tensions in the state.

"We won't let Uttar Pradesh to become Gujarat because there his brotherhood and communal harmony here and this will ensure that Gujarat is not repeated in Uttar Pradesh. SP won't allow anything which will raise communal tensions in the state. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has made this clear that anything that is against the law will not be tolerated. We will take strict actions all who conspires against raising communal tensions," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh Government on August 20 banned the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) from holding a religious procession to Ayodhya, as a preemptive measure against communal flare-up.

According to reports, devotees from several parts of the country were expected to arrive in large numbers at Ayodhya, from August 25 to September 13, as part of VHP's proposed yatra of seers and saints, called the '84 Kosi Parikrama'.

The VHP plans to start from Ayodhya and travel through six districts - Basti, Faizabad, Ambedkarnagar, Barabanki, Bahraich and Gonda, before returning to Ayodhya on September 13.

The U P Government has said the administration of all six districts have advised against allowing the yatra.