VHP alleges "conspiracy" to create disturbance; targets Cong

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said today mob lynching incidents and a spurt in anti-Dalit violence were part of a "conspiracy" to create disturbance in the country.

The Congress, Maoists, "jihadists" and "a section of Church" are conspiring to create disaffection in the country, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain told reporters here.

"There is a conspiracy to create disturbance in the country," he said, referring to a string of mob lynching incidents and a spurt in anti-Dalit violence, including the caste riot at Bhima-Koregaon in Pune district in January.

"Those arrested in the Bhima-Koregaon violence have said they wanted to create disturbance and a violent environment to destabilise the country.

"I would blame the Congress, jihadists, Maoists and a section of Church for conspiring together. On social media, they presented a false interpretation of the Supreme Court order to incite violence," he said.

Jain was apparently referring to the apex court's order diluting some provisions of the stringent Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

"A similar design can be seen behind a sudden spurt in incidents of mob lynching," he said.

The Pune police recently claimed Maoists were behind the violence near the Bhima-Koregaon War Memorial on January 1 and the subsequent events.

Jain also said the VHP is trying to create "social cohesion," and demanded that the Union government expose the "conspiracy" behind the anti-Dalit violence.

"The VHP is taking this issue very seriously, and we are trying to create a new discourse, new narrative, and are also running self-help groups (for Dalits)," he said.

Asked whether the exit of former VHP chief Pravin Togadia will affect the saffron organisation in Gujarat, Jain replied in the negative.

"The VHP is intact in the entire state. He (Togadia) is confused. (He is not clear) whether he is trying to harm the VHP by trying to wean away our members, or harming the Central government, as it appears from his speeches, or whether he is trying to harm the entire Hindu community," Jain said.

The VHP will chart its future course of action for the construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya after a meeting with religious leaders by August-end if the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case in the Supreme Court drags on, he said.