Vishnu Hari Dalmia backs VHP's yatra, says 'no question of communal riots'

Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) President Vishnu Hari Dalmia on Sunday said the 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra' wouldn't have led to any communal riots if the Samajwadi Party (SP)-led Uttar Pradesh Government had allowed it to continue, and added the political parties need to understand that they cannot come into force only on the basis of Muslim votes.

"The government should have provided security to the rally so that none of the Muslims are able to attack it. Our rally was peaceful as such the government should have prevented attack from any outside forces," Dalmia told media here.

"There is no question of communal riots because if the government had provided security to the rally instead of banning it then the Muslims wouldn't have been able to attack. It is just vote bank politics nothing else," he added

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh's Urban Development Minister Azam Khan said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was supporting this rally by VHP with a motive to whip up religious passions ahead of the 2014 general elections.

"Everybody has understood the pomposity of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). This rally was not supposed to take place neither in this month nor in this moment. But keeping in front the parliamentary elections of 2014, such type of atmosphere was attempted," Khan told media in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh.

"It's good that by stopping the rally the incident of December 06, 1992 was prevented from being repeated," he added.

With the VHP activists adamant to complete the Yatra, the Uttar Pradesh administration today said security arrangements would continue to check those trying to attend the banned yatra.

RK Vishwakarma, Inspector General, Law and Order, today informed that1,696 persons, including VHP President Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia, were arrested in a crackdown.

"The tight security arrangements will continue in the state to prevent those trying to attend VHP's yatra, which has not been recalled by it. In the state, 1,696 persons including Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia, have been arrested in the crackdown," said Vishwakarma.

Prominent among those arrested by the state police include Savitri Bai Phule, VHP's provincial coordinator Acharya Kushmuni and Mahant Santosh Das alias Sathu Baba, a VHP office bearer in Varanasi while prominent VHP leader Mahant Ram Saran Das was held at Ram Sanehi Ghat in Ayodhya.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had earlier on Saturday dismissed a plea for allowing the 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra', stating that there is a possibility of tension, and added that the restriction will be maintained.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has vowed to kick off its 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama' around Ayodhya to revive its demand for a Ram temple.

The Samajwadi Party Government has banned the proposed Yatra, as a preemptive measure against communal flare-up, and put in place elaborate security arrangements by rushing in 10 companies of the Rapid Action Force and 12 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).