NEW DELHI: The secular allies of the BJP led coalition have virtually served notice on the BJP leadership that if it did not rein in the Vishwa Hindu Parishad from carrying out its threat of organising a campaign for the construction of the temple, they would have to revise continuation of the alliance.

In particular, they have taken serious objection to the decision of the VHP to undertake a march throughout the country displaying the ashes of those who had been killed in the recent Godhra incidents.

As though illustrating the belligerent mood in the alliance, the Bajrang Dal member of the Lok Sabha, Vinay Katiyar and the Samata Party member, Devendra Prasad Yadav virtually came to blows in the House when Mr Katiyar heaped abuses on Mr Yadav. An unpleasant situation was prevented from happening by the intervention of Mr Chandrashekhar, the former prime minister.

The recalcitrant mood of the Parivar was illustrated by the hunger strike launched by Mr Ashok Singhal, another worker from the VHP if the “Ram Sevaks” or the volunteers participating in the campaign for the construction of the temple were not permitted to participate in the campaign.

The BJP MP, Mr Singhal went to the extent of saying that Mr Vajpayee must resign which he thought was the only way in which the party could regain the grassroot support which it had lost because of its handling of the temple issue. Mr Singhal furthermore accused Mr Vajpayee of pandering to the demands of the allies.

The BJP leadership was particularly annoyed with Mr Singhal’s outburst which had found expression not only in the inner councils of the party but also publicly on the floor of the House as well as in the media. Mr Singhal’s broadsides came particularly at an ill time as they came at a time when the BJP leadership was engaged in reconstructing the erosion caused by the infighting in the ranks of the party and the intelligence sources had held out ample data to show that agent provocateurs were anxiously waiting for opportunities to rekindle the gradually dying embers of the recent round of rioting following the Godhra incidents.

For instance, Ms Uma Bharati had been campaigning in Madhya Pradesh because Mr Vajpayee was anxious for a solution to be found to sort out the dispute through talks amongst Muslims and the Hindus. If that was not possible, leaders of the two communities should await the decision of the court. The government’s action was intended to provide a congenial atmosphere for the talks which should not be vitiated by the Sangh Parivar.

Significantly, these observations came after her separate meetings with Mr Ashok Singhal and the working president of the VHP and the Ram Janambhoomi Trust, Ramchandradas Paramhans.

Apparently finding itself under immense pressure from within the BJP, which had been tolerant till now, the VHP leadership ultimately came out with an emphatic denial of reports that it had planned to organise any such programme of mobilising the masses using the ashes of the Godhra victims.

The spokesman of the VHP accused motivated persons of spreading such ill founded reports. It is obvious that he VHP does not want to alienate itself from the BJP.

These developments came on the eve of the emergency meeting of the National Democratic Alliance called for this evening and the show of action taken by the BJP leadership shows that it has made up its mind not to be tolerant any more of the errant ways of the Sangh Parivar.

The NDA partners are insisting that the alliance be guided by its pledge to adhere to principles of governance.

Agencies add: Indian Hindu and Christian leaders said on Friday they had failed to bridge growing differences over conversions and violence which have marred relations between the two communities during a meeting here.

“It (the meeting) failed to move forward,” said Ken Gnanakan, spokesman for Christian groups after the talks with the right-wing Hindu nationalist outfit — the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (National Volunteer Corps, RSS).

“They (the RSS) stuck to their stand and their own agenda,” Gnanakan added.

This was the sixth round of talks between Christian and Hindu leaders.