THE VISHWA Hindu Parishad (VHP) termed its relations with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) like two bodies with one soul.
Talking to HT here on Friday, a senior VHP leader Rajendra Singh Pankaj said it was wrong to say that there was bad blood between the VHP and BJP. He made it clear that all the reports in this regard were wrong. From his statement, it seemed, the VHP was softening its attitude towards the BJP.
This differed with the statement of international general secretary of the VHP Praveen Togadia who said in Varanasi on September 10 that the BJP had changed its stand on temple issue.
Pankaj was here to take part at a meeting of the organisation meeting. He said if ever there were ideological differences between the two organisations, the VHP would tell the BJP to mend its ways.
He said if the BJP returned to power, tantra (administration) would be with the BJP and jan (people) would be with the VHP.
Probably speaking with experiences of the past, he said circumstances would be created to stop the BJP from deviating from the path of Hindutva.
The VHP leader also categorically stated that the VHP was trying to establish dominance of Hindutva in the country without getting involved with any political outfit. Lashing out at the Congress-led UPA government, Pankaj said that the UPA government was trying to ruin the country by playing with the education system at the behest of the Communist Parties who were a part of the alliance.
Talking about the Ram Temple issue, Pankaj said that Hindutva and Ram Temple issues did require support from any political parties. It needed people’s support, he said. Thus, the VHP had faith in the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayem Sewak Sangh. He said that the RSS members were everywhere in the country and stated that it was because of this support that the VHP was able to rake up the Ram Temple issue.
Talking about the Ram Temple issue, Pankaj said that Hindutva and Ram Temple issues did require support from any political parties. It needed people’s support, he said. Thus, the VHP had faith in the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayem Sewak Sangh. He said that the RSS members were everywhere in the country and stated that it was because of this support that the VHP was able to rake up the Ram Temple issue.
He said the moment the issue would come to the fore, people having allegiance to the RSS would join the campaign for Ram Temple with the same vigour and zeal as happened earlier.
He said that the VHP had no intention to establish political dominance but wanted to establish Hindutva. He said that a future course of action would be decided at the VHP sammelan to be held in February.
Regarding distortion of facts in many NCERT books, he said the VHP central executive passed a resolution in this regard at its meeting held on September 17 and 18.