VHP warns of uprising by Hindus

Courtesy:http://www.chennaionline.com

Chennai, April 17: Opposing any move to destroy the Ramar Sethu, popularly known as Adam’s Bridge, in the Palk Straits for digging the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today warned of an “uprising by Hindus”, if the Centre went ahead with the work.

“Destruction of the bridge will hurt the sentiments of Hindus,” VHP international president Ashok Singhal told a press meet here.

Claiming that Hindu acharyas were “restless” over the “threat” to the Ramar Sethu, he described as rubbish Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu’s remarks that such a bridge never existed.

Singhal and Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, founder of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, displayed photographs of satellite images, reportedly of the bridge, captured by NASA.

“The British taught us distorted history and never recognised Lord Ram as a historical figure and those who want to destroy the bridge are those against Lord Ram,” he said. He also alleged that the project was “swiftly approved” for implementation.

Dayananda Saraswathi said the issue was not political. “We are deeply hurt by the decision to demolish the bridge and the argument that it was not a man-made structure makes no difference to us. For, if it was a God-made one, it is all the more sacred to us,” he said.

When pointed out that the SSCP was initiated by the NDA government, Singhal said they never suggested demolishing the bridge.

Reacting to the attack on the Star News office in Mumbai yesterday, he said it was a result of Hindu sentiments being hurt.

VHP will hold an agitation at Rameswaram tomorrow against the SSCP in which he and Dayananda Saraswathi would be participating.

A rally would be held at New Delhi on May 13 and a meeting of acharyas at Bangalore on May 16 had also been planned, Singhal said.

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