BJP leaders offer arrest in CD case; let off

Lucknow, Apr 9: Top BJP leaders today offered arrests at Hazratganj Kotwali in the controversial CD case after the Election Commission lodged a named FIR against party president Rajnath Singh and leader of the Opposition in UP assembly Lalji Tandon.

The leaders, including Mr Rajnath Singh and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani, however, were let off after the District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) declared they had no evidence against them.

The BJP leaders, who reached the kotwali along with party workers, charged the Centre with hatching a conspiracy against the party to keep it out of the race in the ongoing assembly elections in the state.

Deciding to launch an offensive following the CD controversy, the BJP leadership comprsing sed of Mr Singh , Mr Advani, former Union ministers Ananth Kumar, M M Joshi and Yashwant Sinha, former party president Venkaiah Naidu, state unit president Kesharinath Singh, and Kalraj Mishra and Lalji Tandon reached the kotawli in a huge procession from the party office to offer arrest.

UP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anuj Kumar Bishnoi had lodged an FIR in Hazratganj Kotwali on Friday in the state capital against BJP president Rajnath Singh, party leader Lalji Tandon and ''all those involved in distribution and display of the CD''under sections 153 A and B, 505 A, B, and C of the IPC and section 123 and 125 of the Representation of People's Act. Most of the sections in the FIR are the same except section 123 of the RP Act, which relates to spreading communal hatred.

The EC had ordered lodging of FIR after it found the contents of the CD, which was ''inadvertently'' released at the state BJP party office, ''communally inflammatory.'' This was the second FIR against the party, as on Thursday, the Lucknow district authorities had filed a similar report with the Hazratganj police against BJP officer bearers and workers.

While BJP has distanced itself from the CD -- which shows demolition of Babri mosque, Godhra riots and cow slaughter -- the Opposition has charged it with polarising the voters.

The party is also holding a country-wide 'Jan Akrosh rally' today protesting the role of the Election Commission (EC) by lodging a named FIR against the party president ''in order to single out the BJP.''

Earlier, setting off in a procession from the state BJP headquarters, the BJP President and Mr Advani exhorted party workers to take the Congress by its horns to thwart what they described as the party's evil designs to keep the BJP out of the political sphere by demanding 'de-recognition' of the party. Mr Singh said the party would never give in down to such tactics and launch a country-wide offensive against so-called secular parties.

''How could an FIR be lodged against the president of a party which had already disowned the controversial CD and its contents,'' Mr Singh said.

Posing a question before the Election Commission(EC) for directing to lodge an FIR, the BJP president claimed it was either it done to gain ''cheap popularity'' or under pressure or was an act of prejudice against the BJP. ''It is a clear case where the central government is out to de-recognise the BJP which has been the only party to have countered the Congress' cheap vote-bank politics,'' he claimed.

The BJP President alleged that the EC was adopting double standards as Congress President Sonia Gandhi was spared for using a government aircraft in the last polls and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad was just issued a notice for ''bribing'' the electorate in the last Bihar assembly polls.'' Why lodge an FIR against us without hearing our version,'' he argued.

He claimed the BJP as a party could never be derecognised as it enjoyed recognistion from the vast population of India which had always approved of the nationalist ideology of the party.

Mr Advani said the act of the EC ostensibly at the behest of Congress was reminicent of the imposition of Emergency in 1975. ''To throttle the voice of the main opposition party is just not acceptable in present democratic format of the country,'' he said.

Both the leaders were of definite view that the Congress was using the CD issue as a pretext to fulfill its long-cherished dream to get rid of the BJP from the political scene.

Describing the FIR as 'False Information Report', former BJP president Venkaiah Naidu said the Lucknow district administration's ''confession'' that they had no evidence aginst BJP leaders proved the FIR was fake and malafide in the nature. ''It vindicates the stand of the BJP which would go to the public for larger support on the issue,'' he said.

The BJP broke prohibitory orders issued by the administratation by organising a huge procession and displaying party banners and flags.

Former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh was asked to stay back by the party to continue with his campaigning in western UP.

UNI

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