VHP fears negative impact of narco-tests on Sadhvi Pragya's health

Jammu, Nov 13 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir unit of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) today demanded a medical check-up of Sadhvi Pragya Singh, arrested in connection with the Malegaon blasts, fearing negative impact on the mental health of the religious preacher after the narco-tests.

Addressing a press conference here, VHP state president Rama Kant Dubey termed the narco-tests conducted by the ATS on the Sadhvi as 'serious harassment'' and said, ''this will have a serious impact on her health.'' He lambasted the UPA government for playing ''highly communal politics'' with the support of Maharashtra government.

''A conspiracy is being continuously hatched by the UPA at the centre for implicating the nationalist organisations, like the VHP, Bajrang Dal and their affiliates with religious gurus.

''All this is being done to oblige the minorities. Just for the sake of their votes a symbolic seriousness shown by the UPA government in handling some activists of SIMI recently in the wake of bomb blasts at several places, including the national capital, is counterbalanced and minority votes are cashed upon,'' he said.

Dr Dubey termed as ''harassment'' the narco-tests conducted on the Sadhvi Pragya Singh, and questioned the UPA government why such steps were not taken against Abu Salem, who was arrested for Mumbai blasts.

The ''Supreme Court has given verdict to hang Afzal (Guru) but the UPA is sitting on it, giving excuses of procedures and what procedures such government are talking about when they pick up women, saints and armymen at night without giving them basic human and legal help,'' Dr Dubey said.

The VHP, however, distanced itself from another religious preacher Dayanand Pandey, alias Amritanand, who was arrest yesterday in the Malegaon blast case.

''I know Swami Amritanand as a religious preacher. He had come to Jammu and Kashmir on several occasions and participated in several religious functions. But he is no way related with the VHP,'' Dr Dubey said, asserting they respect him as a Hindu spiritual leader only.

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