UP: 'ekta yatra' of sadhus under banner of Hindu voters' forum

(Hindustan Times
3 May 2007)

Did Ekta Yatra reach anywhere?

Vijay Sharma
Lucknow, May 03, 2007


The 27-day statewide 'ekta yatra' of sadhus, ostensibly to check division of Hindu votes, under the banner of the Hindu Matdata Manch (Hindu voters' forum) a frontal organisation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), ended on Tuesday.

While the VHP State chief Purushotam Singh dubbed the yatra a 'big success', the exercise has been termed an absolute flop in a report prepared by the Intelligence Department sleuths.

Reports say that the yatra received poor or no response in all the six 'prants' (regions) of Uttar Pradesh. (The VHP has divided the state in six zones for its activities)

While talking to Hindustan Times from Ayodhya where he has been camping to campaign for BJP nominee Lallu Singh, Purushottam Singh said that each 'yatra' had a group of 25 to 30 saints and sadhus who took out the yatra in at least six vehicles and created awareness among people against the anti-Hindu forces and underlined the need for Hindus to unite and vote en masse for those who took a pledge to protect interests of Hindus irrespective of the political outfits they belonged to.

The main issues raised by the roaming sadhus, who addressed dozens of public meetings and organised 'road shows' during the yatra, were construction of Ram Janmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya, effective ban on unabated cow slaughter, thwarting of efforts of vested interests to 'acquire' and take over administration of temples and math, etc and attacks on Hindu ethos, informed Singh. Singh, however, refused to admit that the entire Vishwa Hindu Parishad was directly or indirectly working for the BJP and said the sadhus were not asking for support to BJP or its nominees but to anybody who took a pledge to work for the eight-point charter of demands prepared by the Hindu Matdata Manch irrespective of political affiliation.