The Hindu : Godhra could be a BJP-VHP conspiracy: Waghela

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 15, 2002

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Godhra could be a BJP-VHP conspiracy: Waghela

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD NOV. 14. The Gujarat Pradesh Congress president, Shankarsinh Waghela, today expressed the apprehension that the Godhra train carnage could be a "conspiracy'' by the BJP and its "paid servants'' — the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Mr. Waghela told presspersons here that he suspected a "conspiracy'' by the BJP-VHP combine to take political advantage "on the dead bodies of the kar sevaks.''

He wondered why the kar sevaks, who were claimed to have gone to Ayodhya to participate in the "shiladan'' programme on March 15, were returning earlier than scheduled.

It was also questionable how the same inflammable materials, supposed to be kept under Government control, were used in the burning of the train coach as well as in burning the minorities alive in Naroda-Patiya, the Gulmarg Society and other areas in the post-Godhra riots.

The BJP-VHP apparently "hatched the conspiracy" to generate sympathy among Hindus because the ruling party was severely mauled in the local self-government elections and were shaky about retaining power in the Assembly elections.

"The BJP-VHP had lost its mental balance due to the successive defeats in various elections and hatched the Godhra conspiracy,'' he alleged.

He challenged the VHP to take out any yatra after December 15 when the Congress was sure to come to power in the State and reminded the VHP international general secretary, Pravin Togadia, about his arrest in 1997 when he (Mr. Waghela) was the Chief Minister.

"As against his claims that Gujarat would be on fire if he (Dr. Togadia) was arrested, not even a dog barked and after spending seven days in the lock-up, he had to plead with the Government for bail,'' the former Chief Minister said.

Dubbing the VHP as "anti-Hindu'', he questioned its right to challenge the Election Commission order which had been approved by the Supreme Court for the conduct of "free and fair elections'' in the State.

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