M A I N   N E W S

UP CM warns Osama supporters
S. Satyanarayanan
Tribune News Service

Shastripuram (Agra), October 14
Setting the agenda for the Assembly elections, BJP Uttar Pradesh president Kalraj Mishra today announced that the state would go to polls in February and the construction of Ram Temple was not in the election agenda of the BJP.

“Elections to the Assembly will be held in February and not before that,” Mr Mishra told mediapersons here at the ongoing golden jubilee national convention of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.

He said the Ayodhya issue was in BJP’s agenda and it was “not making it an issue” in the forthcoming Assembly elections. “It is a national and religious issue and it is the Opposition, which is making it a political issue,” he said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh gave stern warning to those who eulogise Osama bin Laden or raise slogans in favour of Taliban and said his government would deal firmly with the elements indulging in terrorist activities.

“Those who eulogise Osama bin Laden or raise slogans in favour of Taliban will be put behind bars,” the Chief Minister declared while addressing the convention here.

His declaration assumes significance in view of the forthcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh as this is likely to create anger among hardcore Muslims.

In a bid to counter the Samajwadi Party’s demand for dissolution of the state Assembly by October 16, the Chief Minister said while his government would complete its tenure on October 17, it could constitutionally continue in office till March 26, 2002.

“We have taken a decision that no minister or legislator will take salary and allowance from October 17 onwards and will contribute the same to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” he added.

Later, talking to mediapersons, he said the Ayodhya issue is on the national agenda and not on the party agenda.

However, there was a lot of euphoria among BJP cadres here over the reconstitution of the Ayodhya Cell by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and were forthcoming to openly say that the Ayodhya issue was an unfulfilled desire.

Even BJP National President Jana Krishnamurthy endorsed the view of the senior BJP leader and a minister in Vajpayee’s Cabinet, Mr Pramod Mahajan, that construction of temple was an “unfulfilled desire”.

“He (Pramod) spoke his mind out and I think there is nothing wrong in it,” Mr Krishnamurthy said. When mediapersons tried to probe the BJP leader further on the Ayodhya issue, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu got annoyed and said “The temple issue seems only on media’s agenda.”

BJP activists go on rampage at Taj
Tribune News Service

Agra, October 14
Security at the historic Taj Mahal was given a total disregard as hundreds of BJP youth activists, who are here in the city to attend a two-day youth convention of the party, had a field day at the symbol of love, hooting, shouting and eve-teasing under the nose of security personnel.

The 100-odd lathi-wielding police personnel and private securitymen were unable to control the crowd which entered the Taj Mahal defying the rules and regulations and indulged in eve-teasing women, especially foreigners.

There was no holds bar for the BJP youth activists as there is free entry into the monument for three days because of Shah Jahan’s Urs.

Mr Mahesh Patel, who had come to the city of The Taj for honeymooning, alleged that the security personnel were mute spectators to the unruly behaviour of the crowd.

When contacted, an official at the police post inside the Taj Mahal precinct expressed helplessness.

We can’t just prevent them from entering The Taj as there is a free entry to the monument for the next two days and if we apply more force to control them, the situation could go out of control due to stampede,” he said.