‘VHP & BJP are family, we will move together’

At 83, he is not keeping good health, but once you talk about Hindutva, his face brightens up and voice becomes clear and strong. International president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Ashok Singhal, in an exclusive interview with DNA talks about his Hindutva campaign, VHP-BJP relationship in Gujarat, Jaideep Patel and Gordhan Zadaphia.
 
Why VHP’s campaigning for BJP started so late in Gujarat?
I am not keeping good health. I have just recovered and after visiting Lucknow and Ayodhya have come here. My travelling has been restricted because of ill health. I am planning to visit Udaipur and, if possible, Uttaranchal too. The 11-point programme that our saints have initiated under the Dharm Raksha Manch (DRM) is a big issue, and VHP is supporting it whole-heartedly. Sangh Parivar is also associated with the programme. We want to live with self-respect; it hurts when some people brand us terrorists. The world has seen jehadi terrorism, it has witnessed Maoist terrorism. And what to say about Churches, they have left everyone behind. But Hindus have no such background.

Who are the people branding Hindus as terrorists?
Hindus have never been terrorists. Actually, Sonia Gandhi and Pawar (Sharad Pawar) have conspired to defame Hindus and I believe that a secret organisation of Vatican Church called Opus Dei is working in India, which has billions of rupees. It is working to create a suitable political environment for Christians.

How do they operate?
As part of conspiracy to denigrate Sangh Parivar, they have levelled murder charges against Shankaracharya and sent him behind bars. Allegations against Sadhvi Pragya Bharati are efforts to defame our saints. And I also believe, after whatever happened to Asaram Bapu, that they succeeded in defaming him. Christian forces are behind all this. I believe Opus Dei is behind all these events. They control 75 per cent of electronic media and are capable of spoiling anybody’s image. They level sex charges on our saints. So it is a well-planned conspiracy to defame Hindu saints to shake people’s faith on them.

How are you taking these developments?
Our saints have understood this and that’s why they have formed DRM and decided to launch a massive public awareness campaign. They have 11-point programme, which every political party should take up forgetting political differences. As part of the public awareness campaign, saints have started two  yatras from Haridwar and Ayodhya, with 200 saints participating in each yatra.

Is VHP supporting BJP in Gujarat?
An impression is being created in Gujarat that VHP is not supporting BJP, rather opposing it. This is not true. We may have difference of opinion, but this is our internal matter and everything will be sorted out. It is between individuals and not related to two organisations. Most of the issues have been solved. After all, we are part of a family and we will move together.

Gordhan Zadaphia is claiming support of VHP. What’s your stand?
Gordhan Zadaphia met me here. He is an indisciplined person. He has been in the organisation and was close to the RSS. If you are a member of our family, you must act like a disciplined soldier. I think, he wants to increase his stature and it is not possible in the family. When people start asking for his share in the family, he cannot remain in the family. He demanded his share, and when the family agreed, he refused. Now he is not our part. On the contrary, I believe now he is working for the destruction of the Hindu society. People who are working to build Hindu society, would not support him.

What about Jaideep Patel?
I went to meet Jaideepbhai, as he is a patriotic person. He has been into VHP’s work for the past 20-25 years. While people say that now he is no more with VHP, I would say he wanted to contest election and in our organisation you can’t do two things together.