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November 14, 2008

Dont expect BJP to come clean? Tell the world of Hindutva terror links

Times of India, 14 Nov 2008

Say No To Terror

BJP president Rajnath Singh has not done his party any good by defending the accused in the Malegaon blasts. Singh, unlike other senior members
of his party, has assumed that those arrested by Maharashtra's anti-terror squad are innocent and has blamed investigators and the Congress party of framing Hindu leaders. His tirade against the investigation is in sharp contrast to the position the BJP has adopted towards terrorism so far. The BJP has always called for strong action against terrorism and castigated the government for not doing enough to curb terrorism. The party can't now accuse investigators of partisanship because some of the accused belong to its ranks.

The BJP has been in a mode of denial since the ATF arrested Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, formerly with the BJP's student wing, in the Malegaon blasts case. First, Singh claimed that a believer in cultural nationalism couldn't be a terrorist. Since then, more sangh parivar activists have been arrested in connection with the blasts. The BJP should wake up to this serious threat to national security from within the sangh parivar's ranks and not shift the blame to the police. The party should also rein in leaders like Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath who has been issuing provocative statements against the police. Hindu monks are liable to prosecution if found guilty of terrorism like other citizens of this country. The charges could be challenged in the court but party leaders should not slam the arrests as a political conspiracy without evidence. Terrorism of any ideological persuasion is unacceptable and political parties should make that clear to cadres.

For the BJP, this is a moment of reckoning. The party has to decide whether it wants to protect extremists in its ranks or adopt liberal political views. Singh, unfortunately, seems to prefer the former and his shrill comments resemble those of politicians like Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray who recently called for forming Hindu suicide squads. A national party like the BJP can't afford to mimic the likes of Thackeray.

It is up to senior BJP leaders like L K Advani to clarify that there is no ambiguity about the party's position on terrorism. However, they have been largely silent. As a party expected to be in the running to form the government after the next general elections, the BJP needs to clarify its stand on all forms of terror. The country is waiting.