#1.
The Telegraph, November 15, 2008
Orissa rally on, despite advisory
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Bhubaneswar, Nov. 14: Orissa has permitted a rally in memory of a VHP leader whose killing sparked anti-Christian riots recently, ignoring a central advisory against communally sensitive gatherings.
State home secretary T.K. Mishra said the Bhubaneswar rally to pay homage to Laxmananda Saraswati had been allowed “to respect the democratic rights of people”. He confirmed the state had received the advisory.
The Centre’s advisory, sent earlier this week, had urged the state not to permit such public meetings as they could threaten communal peace.
Mishra, however, said a balance was necessary. “On one side, we have to see that communal peace and amity are not disturbed. On the other, we have to respect the democratic rights of people. We can’t deny an organisation permission to hold a rally peacefully.”
Mishra said the authorities were “assessing the situation”. “We discussed the matter with the DGP and the police commissioner today,” he said.
City police chief B.K. Sharma confirmed the samiti had been given permission to hold the rally at PMG Square ground, near the Assembly. Over 40 police platoons, comprising 1,200 personnel, will be deployed across the city, Sharma said.
The gathering, organised by the Swami Laxmananda Saraswati Shraddhanjali Samiti, will be addressed by RSS central committee member Indresh Kumar, VHP national secretary Y. Raghavellu and Ram Janmabhoomi movement leader Ramvilash Vedanti.
Over a lakh people are expected to attend, said Ratnakar Chaini, the samiti’s president. Some Christian leaders have expressed fears that the rally could threaten peace.
On September 6, two weeks after Lakshmananda’s murder, the state had barred the VHP from marching with his ashes in Bhubaneswar.
The VHP had then held a shraddhanjali sabha (homage meeting), despite curbs on gatherings. Several VHP activists and sadhus were arrested.
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#2.
Indian Express, 15 November 2008
Despite Centre warning, Naveen allows Sangh rally today
by Debabrata Mohanty
Bhubaneswar, November 15 : Despite cautionary words from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) over a scheduled Sangh Parivar rally on Saturday, over five lakh activists of the Parivar and sadhus would converge here on Saturday to protest against the state Government’s failure in nabbing the killers of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati.
The MHA in a letter to the state Government had asked it to withhold its permission for the rally being organised by the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Shradhanjali Samiti on November 15, Orissa Home Secretary T K Mishra admitted. The MHA officials had apprehended that the rally might vitiate the already ‘tense’ situation in Kandhamal and elsewhere in the state. “The rally could create law and order problem and also affect restoration of peace in Kandhamal,” the letter had stated.
But Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has already angered the Sangh Parivar after he labeled the VHP a fundamentalist organisation, did not want to make his electoral ally unhappy and made sure that they got the permission to hold the rally. Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner B K Sharma said the rally has been allowed, but with some conditions. “We have allowed the rally on the conditions that no provocative slogans would be made during the speeches and there would be no display of weapons,” said Sharma.
The rally, to be attended by Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram national president Jagdeo Ram Oram, RSS central committee member Indresh Kumar, Ramvilash Vedanti of Ram Janmabhoomi movement and other Sangh Parivar leaders, will flay Patnaik’s efforts in hunting down the killers of Saraswati, who was gunned down on August 23 at his ashram in Jalespeta in Kandhamal district.
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The Parivar which is getting increasingly restive over the CID’s go-slow approach in the investigation hopes to cash in on the anger in the Hindus in the aftermath of the killing. Samiti president Ratnakar Chaini alleged that the CM was appeasing the minority community and working under the pressure of the Church. He said while the Government made all efforts to nab the culprits in the nun rape case, the CID sleuths have not shown similar interest to arrest the killers of Saraswati even 85 days after his murder. He alleged that the Government is preventing people from attending the rally.
The Samiti would start distribution of lockets and pocket calendars carrying the photo of Saraswati from Saturday as part of the Parivar’s run-up to the Orissa Assembly and Lok Sabha polls next...year. The Samiti plans to hold an Orissa bandh on December 25 over the Government’s failure in arresting the killers of the Swami.
As a preparation for Saturday’s rally, thousands of Hindu seers on Friday gathered here. More than 50,000 people from across the state and outside have reached the city while others would reach by Saturday morning. The rally will be preceded by a peace meet at 8.30 am, followed by namasankirtan between 10 and 11.30 am.
The rally would demand immediate arrest of killers and conspirators of Saraswati and four of his disciples, narco test of Congress Rajya Sabha member Radhakant Nayak, Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Diocese Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, National Integration Council member John Dayal....
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