BJP condemns arrest of Singhal over VHP's yatra

With a massive crackdown by the UP government to enforce its ban on VHP's yatra in Ayodhya, BJP condemned the arrest of Ashok Singhal and other religious leaders and said Samajwadi Party will face the wrath of people for its actions.

"BJP strongly condemns the action of Uttar Pradesh government in arresting Shri Ashok Singhalji, in detaining the sadhus and sants from taking out the yatra. India is a free country. People have got every right to move around, to take out yatra. You can regulate the yatra. How can you stop it? It is all being done keeping in mind only vote-bank politics," senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.

The yatra is not a political issue and the Samajwadi Party would face the wrath of the people for its actions, he said.

Referring to Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressing confidence about her party's victory in the next general elections, Naidu challenged the ruling party to go to the people.

"If the Congress president is sure of victory hundred per cent, then why don't they end this uncertainty and provide an opportunity to the people to decide. Let's go to the people. Along with the five state elections, let there be general elections also, because, everything has come to a standstill in the country," he said.

Having miserably failed on its promises like checking price rise in 100 days, containing fiscal deficit and providing two crore jobs a year, the Congress is now coming up with new false promises like food security and direct money transfer, he alleged.