NEW DELHI, Nov 15: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was headed for a bruising confrontation with rightwing hardliners in his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday after he backed a ban on their proposed religious rally in Gujarat, a standoff that could cost him his job, politicians and analysts said.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an extremist group of Vajpayee’s party and a bitter critic of his coalition government, said it would continue with its proposed Vijay Yatra (victory march), on Sunday from Godhra, where a train massacre in February had led to the recent pogroms against Muslims.
BJP insiders said losing the Dec 12 state polls in Gujarat, regarded as a rightwing Hindu bastion, would almost certainly end Vajpayee’s innings as the party’s preferred prime ministerial choice. VHP leaders have said they do not care if Vajpayee’s government stays or not.
An uncharacteristic comment by Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani that Gujarat poll results would not affect the stability of Vajpayee’s government is being seen as a giveaway that either the BJP was in trouble in Gujarat or the prime minister was under pressure from the rightwing hardliners.
The nub of the issue was a ban imposed by the election commission on any religious rally in Gujarat during the election campaign which the VHP is adamant at defying.
In a TV interview, Vajpayee backed the commission, saying its decision to ban the proposed rally by the VHP could be justified in view of the conditions that had prevailed in the state in recent months.
Asked about his own party’s criticism of the ban as “biased”, the prime minister said a superficial view would justify that statement, but a deeper understanding of the issues involved would leave one with no choice but to support the ban.
“The government of Gujarat has done the right thing by acting as per the directive of the election commission to prohibit religious processions in the state ahead of the assembly elections on Dec 12. I appeal to all organizations to honour this directive issued by the constitutional authority and help the state administration in discharging its duty,” Vajpayee said.
“It is only through scrupulous obedience of the law that we can enhance the prestige and efficacy of our democracy,” he said.
Asked about the VHP announcing its decision to go ahead with the yatra, Vajpayee said the Gujarat government had initially given permission to it, but later thought it fit not to allow it after assessing the situation. “I hope all parties and outfits will abide by it.”
On the path chosen by the VHP, he said, “It is difficult to say what it will do.... But I feel things will settle down with attention being focused on the election.”
Vajpayee said the massacre at Godhra could not be an election issue, nor could the anti-Muslim violence that followed. Godhra was a manifestation of bestiality and such issues cannot be made election issues. There are better issues to contest the election on, he said.
A pro-BJP columnist wrote this week that Vajpayee is under tremendous pressure to campaign for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
“But Vajpayee believes any association with Modi, who is now a hate figure for the secularists, will dent his liberal image. He might still be obliged to seek votes for the chief minister, for his own survival, as Sangh Parivar bigwigs have conveyed to the BJP that the loss of Gujarat will mark the end of Vajpayee’s prime ministership,” the columnist said.
However, Advani, apparently responding to similar conclusions, said in Ranchi on Friday that the Gujarat elections would not have any impact on the central government.
