Laloo decries VHP's bid to enter Qutub Minar

Former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav on Monday said that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's attempt at conducting a pooja at the premises of the Qutub Minar in New Delhi is a part of a "bigger evil design" of the Sangh Parivar to spread communal hatred in entire country.

Claiming that the monument was "constructed after demolishing 27 Hindu and Jain temples", VHP activists on Sunday had headed towards the monument to perform a ceremonial pooja. The police, however, stopped them from reaching the historical Minar.

Speaking to rediff.com Yadav said the fascist government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee was behind VHP's move to enter the Qutub Minar to perform a puja.

"If it is the Qutub Minar today, they [VHP] might destroy the Lal Qila [Red Fort] tomorrow simply because it was built by the Mughals or Muslim rulers. Where is this going to end?" he asked.

Yadav said that if their steps were not checked, they would target Delhi's Jama Masjid and Taj Mahal. "They are destroyers. They have not built any thing except destroy, including destroying the Babri Masjid" he said.

He questioned how the BJP or the VHP claim to be nationalists when they have not realised that the Qutub Minar is a national monument and part of the national heritage.

The RJD chief said that the VHP is misleading people in name of religion and trying to create a situation similar to Gujarat all over India, just to fight the next Lok Sabha elections and exploit the sentiments of people. "We will not allow them to succeed," Yadav said.

He termed the BJP and the Sangh Parivar as "nakli Hindu" [false Hindus] who are hell bent to destroy the social fabric of the country.

He said that he has maintained communal harmony in Bihar and has prevented the Sangh Parivar from spreading its poison in the state.