After a nation-wide protest, which also sounded in Parliament, VHP Veteran Ashok Singhal, Dr Togadia was released from Police arrest today evening. However UP Govt has not lifted the ban on AYODHYA Parikrama Yatra of VHP. Allahabad High Court on Monday ordered the release of all the arrested Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders. Hundred of VHP supporters along with leaders like Praveen Togadia and Ashok Singhal were arrested in a massive crackdown by the Uttar Pradesh government.
New Delhi/Bangalore: August 26, 2013. Vishwa Hindu Parishad & Bajrang Dal workers today protested across the nation including Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against arrest of Hindu Saints & VHP activists in and around Ayodhya. They also burnt effigy of Mulayam Singh Yadav & submits memorandum to the president of Bharat. Addressing thousands of protestors Shri Prakash Sharma, National spokesperson-VHP said that arresting Sadhu Sants & VHP leader after banning a religious yatra is unconstitutional, undemocratic & barbaric for which Akhilesh Govt will face the consequences.
Speaking at the protest swami Raghavanand, Mahant Surendra Nath Avadhoot & Mahant Naval Kishor Dass raised questions whether Hindus has to ask politicians before conducting any religious yatra or performing rituals? Are they do not have any fundamental rights of religious freedom? They all criticized the way UP Govt Cracks down the Yatra & arrested Sants & Hindu Leaders.
The Int’s Vice President shri Om Prakash Singhal, central secretary Dharm Narayan Sharma, state president Swadeshpal Gupta, Gen. Sec. Satyendra Mohan and many others addressed the gathering. A memorandum was also given to the president of Bharat seeking his immediate intervention in the matter to restore fundamental rights of religious Yatra by Hindus and help constructing a glorious temple of lord Ram on his place of birth.
Brij Mohan Sethi, Deepak Kumar, Ujaagr Singh, shri Ram Krishna Shrivastav, Ram Pal Singh, Manish Rai, Sandeep Ahuja, Vishnu Gupta, Swami Om Ji, Gurdeen Prasad Rustagy, Shiv Kumar Bajrang Dal State Convenor, Brijmohan Sethi State Vice-President VHP, Shri Rajesh Talla, Shri Neeraj Doneria Bajrang Dal full timer were present at the protest at New Delhi.
Hyderabad: Vishwa Hindu Parishad Hyderabad Division organised a Dharna Programme at Dharna Chowk at Indira Park in Hyderabad, condemning the ban 84th Kosi Parikrama Yatra being undertaken by revered Sadhus and Sanyasis. Sri Y.Raghavulu International Secretary of VHP participated. Later a delegation of VHP Submitted a Memorandum in the Governor’s Office after the Dharna.
Bangalore: Protest held in front of Town Hall at 10.30am. Hundreds of VHP volunteers demonstrated protest against UP govt action to ban VHP’s Ayodhya Kosi Parikrama Yatra. Protesters sloganned against UP govt, demanded earliest release of Saints, VHP leaders includes Dr Pravin Togadia, Ashok Singhal. Bajarangadal Chief K Suryanarayana Rao addressed the protest gathering.
Massive Protest at Mangalore:
Addressing the protestors, VHP president M B Puranik said that “’Parikrama Yatre’, a devotional and peaceful trip to Ayodhya has been carried out every year by the activists of VHP, BD and thousands of other Ram devotees, under the guidance of various Swamijis and religious leaders. This trip has been carried out in various batches divided under the district wise committee.”
“The prime reason for organizing this yatra is to construct the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya under priority basis. While there have been questions that have been raised with relation to the existence of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, there is also evidence that when the land was dug, remains of the old monuments were recovered to support the truth of the existence of Ram Mandir in that venue was confirmed,” he added.
The Allahabad High Court has also agreed with regards to the existence of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. After the destruction of Babri Masjid in 1992 which led to communal disharmony, the court had permitted to construct a Ram Mandir at the venue.
“But the UP and the Central Government has been purposely delaying the proposal of construction of the Mandir, with a view to create favor with the muslims and the minorities. On August 25, top VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Pravin Thogadiya, along with other Swamijis and religious leaders have been stopped from carrying out this Parikrama Yatra and have been arrested.
“With a view to condemn this act of the UP and Central Government, the activists of VHP and BD are carrying out a nation-wide protest. If this act continues, there is no doubt of a fatal eruption of communal disharmony similar to that caused in 1992,” he warned.
Leaders Sharan Pumpwell, Krishna Murthy, Manohar Thulajaram, Gopal Kuthar, Jagadeesh Shenava, Jithendra Kottary, Bhujanga Kulal, Pradeep Pumpwell, Punith Pumpwell and others were present.
(Inputs from News13.in, Daijiworld.com)