VHP reiterates demand to repeal Articles 370 and 35-A
Jammu, Jun 30: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad Sunday reiterated its demand for revocation of Article 370 and Article 35-A of the Constitution at the end of its two-day central managing committee meet here.
The right-wing outfit also raised sought early delimitation of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly constituencies, besides an expeditious step for rehabilitation of the migrant Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.
The VHP meet also strongly raised the demand of the deportation of Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims from the state, said the outfit’s national spokesperson Vinod Bansal.
The VHP’s other demands included steps for opening up of the Sharada Peeth pilgrimage in Pakistan-administered-Kashmir and facilitating Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Ladakh, said Bansal.
“This is for the first time that the central managing committee met in Jammu. The meeting was attended by 225 senior office bearers including national president Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje,” Bansal said.
“This was also for the first time in the history of the party that a full day was devoted to any state as both the resolution passed yesterday (Saturday) were related to Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
Bansal said several other important issues like construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, protection of cows, “love jehad”, and the mismanagement in the government-controlled temples were discussed.
The VHP spokesperson said the issue of the alleged spending of offerings to some temples in south India on Christian missionaries instead of the welfare for Hindus also came up for a detailed discussion during the meeting.
Bansal said the meeting was of the opinion that the Article 370 and Article 35-A, which give special status to Jammu and Kashmir, should be revoked immediately to counter separatism in the state.
“A resolution was adopted unanimously, demanding immediate revocation of these articles which make the state different from the rest of the country and encourage separatism besides being discriminatory to some sections of the people living in the state,” he said.
Bansal alluded to the “discrimination” referring to the property rights of women married outside the state and refugees from Pakistan-administered-Kashmir and west Pakistan settled in the state.
He said the resolution also demanded the rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrant Hindus in their respective places of birth in the Valley, besides proper security and restoration and preservation of their places of worship.
The meeting also discussed the alleged discrimination with the Jammu and Ladakh regions and demanded delimitation of the State’s Assembly constituencies to end the “lingering bias against the two regions”.
The VHP leaders also sought immediate deportation of all Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals from the state, saying there is a conspiracy afoot to change Jammu’s demography by settling them in the region.
Another resolution adopted in the VHP meet called for the development of Hindu religious places in the state with provision for better facilities to devotees undertaking pilgrimages here, said Bansal.
“The holy places of pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir will have to be developed, their grandeur enhanced, adequate security cover will have to be provided, the traditional modes of worship reinstated, only then will the real soul of Kashmir be strengthened,” said Bansal, quoting the VHP resolution.
He said the Sharda Peeth in Pakistan-administered-Kashmir near the Line of Control is not only one of the most important ‘Shaktipeeeth’ (power house) of Hinduism but also a great place of learning.
The VHP is accordingly requesting the Centre to take up its opening for the pilgrimage with the Pakistan government and handing over its management to Hindus so that its glory can be restored and the traditional mode of worship can restart there.
The VHP also requested the Centre to take up with China the opening of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Ladakh route and said it would not only save time but also provide a safe route for the pilgrims, said Bansal.
Pitching for a cable car project for the Amarnath cave shrine, he said the resolution also demanded opening of the Kargil route to the 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
‘VHP only against ‘love jihad’, not opposed to interfaith marriages’
Jammu, Jun 30: The VHP is not against interfaith marriages but only against “love jihad” aimed at “tricking Hindu girls to marrying Muslim youths to have them converted to Islam”, said VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal Sunday.
“The VHP is not against interfaith marriages but a conspiracy is on under which a Muslim youth in a pre-planned manner traps a Hindu girl and then converts her to his religion by taking undue advantage of her innocence,” Bansal told PTI here.
Speaking to PTI after the conclusion of the VHP’s two-day central managing committee meet here, Bansal said the issue of ‘love jihad’ was also discussed in the meeting, chaired by its national president Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje and attended by 225 senior office bearers.
“We never opposed marriage of couples belonging to different religions. We are against ‘love jihad. If there is no malafide intention, we have no issue (with interfaith marriage),” said Bansal.
The VHP meet also demanded tough action against cow slaughter and advocated a separate ministry for the protection of the animal, revered by Hindus.
He said the meeting, which concluded Sunday, demanded a separate cow protection ministry to oversee an end of the cow slaughter in the country and an early construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
“The meeting expressed hope that the Central government will take necessary steps for the construction of Ram Temple. The people of the country will render full cooperation to the government in this regard,” he said.
“We want government to act tough against cow slaughter,” said Bansal, claiming that incidents of mob lynching is being blown out of proportion as only a few incidents had taken place and the reason later turned out to be something else.
The Hindus have a sentiment attached with the cow and the people of other religions should respect it even as the cow is equally beneficial for all he said.
“We condemn all incidents of violence against anyone including cow vigilantes who often come on roads after they feel nothing is done to protect the revered animal. Nobody is speaking against the atrocities committed against them,” he said.
“Cow vigilantes are protecting animals and cannot imagine taking away human lives,” claimed Bansal.
Referring to the killing of Tabrez Ansari, 24, in Jharkhand last Wednesday, Bansal said though his death looks suspicious, an incident of crime should be seen through the criminal angle only.
Ansari was allegedly tied to a pole and beaten with sticks by a mob at Dhatkidih village in Jharkhand’s Saraikela district last Wednesday on the suspicion of being a thief. The newly-married man was seen in a video purportedly being forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman”. He succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.
Bansal said the meeting also discussed the alleged practice of having Christian missionaries in management committees of some temples in parts of south India and being given money out of the temples’ offerings.
“The money should be spent for the welfare of Hindus alone,” the VHP spokesperson said.
The meeting was also apprised of the organisation’s oversees activities and the steps being taken by it to promote Indian customs, traditions, nationalism and selfless service among the new generation of countrymen living in different parts of the world, he said.
He said the VHP has decided to celebrate the 550th birth day of Guru Nanak Dev throughout the country this year.
