PUNE, 28 December 2002 — The Hindu militant organization Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) continued its Muslim-bashing agenda with one of its leader alleging that the Muslims supported terrorists because of the concept of Jihad, which was part of its religious foundation.

Speaking to the media on the second day of the five-day VHP conclave here, Surendra Jain said that the Muslims mindset of Jihad was the main reason for the terrorist activities in the nation and stated that “the Muslims have not apprehended a single terrorist till now and handed them to the police”.

Jain blamed the present political system for adopting a secular ideology and said that this political system was incompetent to fight the Muslim Jihadis, adding that secular parties encourage the Jihadis. He also claimed that only Hinduvata could confront these Jihadis and put an end to terrorist activities.

The VHP leader attacked Congress President Sonia Gandhi and compared her to the founder of Pakistan Muhammed Ali Jinnah and said that she was turning a blind eye to the sentiments of the Hindu community. “Congress has been the biggest supporter of the Jihadi movement and hence the terrorists got a boost to carry on their activities unhindered in Congress-ruled states,” he alleged.

Jain said that the VHP has coined a new slogan “construct temple, banish terrorism”, while adding that a massive program is being undertaken directing all people to hoist saffron flags. He also said that Hindu conclaves will be held in all parts of India during February and March 2003 demanding land from the federal government for the construction of a temple at Ayodhya on the razed Babri Masjid site.

Meanwhile, the city police will be kept on their toes tomorrow with a huge numbers of VVIPs arriving in the city to attend two high profile functions — one a public rally by VHP and the other a wedding reception of the son of a prominent Congress leader and senior minister of the state Democratic Front government. Both functions are being held in the evening and in close proximity of the venues of each other.

The VHP rally will be addressed by Pravin Togadia, Ashok Singhal, Dalmiya and others, while prominent guests likely to attend the wedding reception includes Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and the entire team of ministers of the jumbo DF government.

Apart from the city police, the special Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) commandos are being deployed for the security of the visiting leaders said city police chief Ranjit Singh Sharma.

Sharma’s tough and tactful handling of the conclave while preventing the VHP leaders and its activists from creating any trouble has won him a slew of praise from the state government, officials and people. Sharma had given notice to Togadia and the VHP leaders to desist from inflammatory speeches, while simultaneously providing security for the conclave. Till now none of the leaders have dared to make any inflammatory statements.

The state government pleased with Sharma’s performance is likely to reward him with the Bombay police commissioner’s post, sources said.