Arya Samaj to hold rath yatra on May 17

Jaipur, May 8 (UNI) Vedic Virakta Mandal and several other Arya Samaj outfits will carry out a ''rath yatra'' from Udaipur to Delhi on May 17 in protest against the demand for a ban on Swami Dayanand Saraswati's book ''Satyarth Prakash''.

Addressing a press conference here today, Sarvdeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha President and social reformist Swami Agnivesh said many Muslim clerics and activists had demanded the ban on the 125-year-old renowned book, authored by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.

The Swami said a petition had also been filed by two Muslim activists in a Delhi court praying for the ban on the book.

''We all Arya Samaj workers and organisations do protest against the demand and decided to counter the demand,'' he said.

''While we would effectively contest the case in the court we had also planned to hold the ''satyarath prakash rath yatra'' between May 17 and 20,'' the Swami added.

The rath yatra, commencing from Udaipur on May 17, would reach Delhi on May 20 via Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Ajmer, Jaipur, Behror, Narnaul, Rewari, Palwal and Faridabad, the Swami said.

UNI SS SW ND1450