Massive rally against Ram Sethu project
Continuing with its efforts to pile up pressure on the Manmohan Singh government to abandon the Sethusamudran project, the Ram Sethu Raksha Manch, a forum floated by the RSS to mobilise public opinion against the controversial issue, held a massiv...
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: Continuing with its efforts to pile up pressure on the Manmohan Singh government to abandon the Sethusamudran project, the Ram Sethu Raksha Manch, a forum floated by the RSS to mobilise public opinion against the controversial issue, held a massive rally here on Sunday afternoon.
The rally, organised at the Swarna Jayanti Udyan grounds in Rohini, was attended by the saints and leaders associated with the Manch, as also by the entire top brass of the RSS, BJP, VHP, Bajrang Dal and other components of the Sangh parivar. In a clear signal that the BJP had given its full backing to the movement, chief ministers of five states ruled by the party — MP, Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh, Uttarakhand and HP — made it a point to be present at the venue.
Organisers of the rally received a shot in the arm when they received messages of support from Punjab chief minister and Akali Dal supremo Parkash Singh Badal, AIADMK president J Jayalalitha and Bharatiya Janshakti Party leader Uma Bharati.
If the Sangh parivar, which has now embarked on the mission to build a nationwide movement against the plans of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu to demolish the Ram Sethu so as to enable the construction of the shipping link, wanted to showcase today’s rally as a trial of strength, the turnout at the venue must have made it bullish.
The disconnect which had marked the ties between the BJP and the rest of the parivar on crucial issues in the past few years was missing. The Ram Sethu issue, to that extent, has helped the various affiliates iron out their differences and speak in one voice.
The public outrage that followed the disclosure of the affidavit forced the Manmohan Singh government to withdraw it from the Supreme Court almost immediately.
The damage, however, had been done by then, and the BJP pounced on the development to pillory the ruling combine. In the run-up to the assembly polls in Gujarat, chief minister Narendra Modi used the issue to deadly effect in his public meetings, poking fun at the Centre for its decision to file the affidavit denying the existence of Lord Ram.
Towards the end of the rally, the participants unanimously passed a resolution that demanding that the Ram Sethu be declared “a national heritage” site, and that Rameshwaram be designated a holy town.
The rally, organised at the Swarna Jayanti Udyan grounds in Rohini, was attended by the saints and leaders associated with the Manch, as also by the entire top brass of the RSS, BJP, VHP, Bajrang Dal and other components of the Sangh parivar. In a clear signal that the BJP had given its full backing to the movement, chief ministers of five states ruled by the party — MP, Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh, Uttarakhand and HP — made it a point to be present at the venue.
Organisers of the rally received a shot in the arm when they received messages of support from Punjab chief minister and Akali Dal supremo Parkash Singh Badal, AIADMK president J Jayalalitha and Bharatiya Janshakti Party leader Uma Bharati.
If the Sangh parivar, which has now embarked on the mission to build a nationwide movement against the plans of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu to demolish the Ram Sethu so as to enable the construction of the shipping link, wanted to showcase today’s rally as a trial of strength, the turnout at the venue must have made it bullish.
The disconnect which had marked the ties between the BJP and the rest of the parivar on crucial issues in the past few years was missing. The Ram Sethu issue, to that extent, has helped the various affiliates iron out their differences and speak in one voice.
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For the BJP, the controversy generated by the UPA government’s affidavit challenging the very existence of Lord Ram, could not have come at a more opportune time. The tough stance taken by the party in the wake of the affidavit helped it re-establish its credentials as a strong votary of Hindutva-related issues, and also facilitated its task of exposing the politics of minority appeasement being pursued by the Congress and its allies at the Centre and in states.The public outrage that followed the disclosure of the affidavit forced the Manmohan Singh government to withdraw it from the Supreme Court almost immediately.
The damage, however, had been done by then, and the BJP pounced on the development to pillory the ruling combine. In the run-up to the assembly polls in Gujarat, chief minister Narendra Modi used the issue to deadly effect in his public meetings, poking fun at the Centre for its decision to file the affidavit denying the existence of Lord Ram.
Towards the end of the rally, the participants unanimously passed a resolution that demanding that the Ram Sethu be declared “a national heritage” site, and that Rameshwaram be designated a holy town.
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Among those who were present in the rally were RSS chief K S Sudarshan, VHP international working president Ashok Singhal, general secretary Pravin Togadia and the entire top brass of the BJP.Download
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