VHP throws Godhra killing on EC's face

AHMEDABAD: The Election Commission''s ban on the VHP''s padshahi yatra could not stop it in its tracks. It has gone ahead to take up the Godhra carnage in its efforts to supplement the BJP''s election campaign. The VHP has gone whole hog to revive Hindu chauvinism at a subterranean level across Gujarat.
The latest it has unleashed from its arsenal are T-shirts, depicting haunting images of the burning Sabarmati express on February 27, which are now being flaunted by several BJP, VHP and Bajrang Dal activists all over.They have also put these T-shirts on sale at a price of Rs 35. Some T-shirts have pictures of Chhatrapati Shivaji at the back and the carnage pictures on the front.
The VHP has organised hundreds of meetings all over the state, focussing on the Godhra carnage.
Besides the T-shirts, banners, stickers, audio and video cassettes and other publicity material have also been brought out.
Incidentally, the slogans and sentiments, the BJP has been banned to use, are being used as the corner-stones of the VHP''s campaign to capitalise on Hindu votes. "We are not contesting any elections so we are not bound by any model code of conduct," said VHP''s state secretary Kaushik Mehta.
The VHP''s state headquarters can be seen humming with activity as the members have turned it into a virtual distribution centre for VCDs and audio cassettes. Orders are being placed in large numbers for the cassettes having speeches of VHP''s international general-secretary Pravin Togadia and Acharya Dharmendra. The Godhra rhetoric is obviously high in these cassettes.
Another sticker, depicting the S-6 coach and photos of victims and Akshardham, asks for paying a tribute to the them by casting votes.
Some VHP leaflets ask voters to ensure defeat of secular parties. "Our programme aims at telling people not to vote for an anti-Hindu government," said Mehta.