NEW DELHI; Speculation is rife in political circles here whether Arun Nehru will join the BP. along with his small group of associates. His presence at the residence of B.J.P. chief Murli Manohar Joshi on the occasion of “Moli Milan” is being interpreted to mean his inclination towards the Hindu fundamentalist party. Earlier, according to reports, Nehru’s close associate Arif Mohammed Khan had met R.S.S. general secretary Rajender Singh. Present at Murli’s house was also a former central minister P.Upendra.
Significantly it was during the years of Arun Nehru’s proximity to Mrs.Gandhi that she planned the operation “Blue Star” against the Sikhs. She also gave new twist to Congress {I)’s policy of secularism by becoming more Hindu than the B.J.P. Again, it was Arun Nehru who guided the powerful government owned media in India to project such Hindu fundamentalist themes as Ramayan and Mahabharat to inculcate what later the BJ.P. Men called as the Hindu pride. Arun had also expressed his desire to meet leaders of the B.J_P. in jail soon after the Ayodhya Babri masjid was demolished and they had been detained for about a month. It was during Arun Nehru’s time as central home minister that the Babri masjid was called a mandir and it was unlocked for Hindus. Recently Arun Nehru wrote a newspaper article projecting his Hindu fundamentalist views; Allinall Arun Nehru played a significant role in taking the Congress (I) close to the Hindu fundamentalist line.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 12, 1993
