Chennai: The 41-day Ramarajya Rathayatra covering about 6,000 km is the first of its kind ‘rath yatra’ since the 1990 yatra of BJP leader L. K. Advani demanding construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya. That yatra had triggered Ram Mandir agitations and culminated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, which triggered riots in several parts of the country.
This rath-yatra could cause similar communal strife and must be prevented entry into Tamil Nadu, said four independent MLAs in the state Assembly, including Tamimum Ansari and actor Karunas, Monday morning. When they were not allowed to make their presentation, the four staged a walkout and met the mediapersons outside.
DMK leader Stalin in a statement demanded that the state government “forthwith ban the yatra being undertaken by the VHP”. He also saw the yatra as a saffron attempt to pressure the Supreme Court when the latter is presently in the process of finalising the verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case.
Stalin said it was regrettable that Chief Minister K. Palaniswami “is only trying to save his own position by allowing the yatra to pass through Tamil Nadu on Tuesday”.
Expressing fear that the yatra’s passage through TN would disrupt communal harmony, Stalin said the government should halt it at the state border and "pack them off to Uttar Pradesh if they insist on entering our state”.
