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Hindu Extremists "Cleanse" Gandhi's Tomb After Musharraf's Visit
NEW DELHI, July 15 (News Agencies)
- Activists from the militant Hindu organization, the Shiv Sena, on Sunday symbolically washed Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's (father of the nation of India) mausoleum (Rajghat) in New Delhi after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's visit on Saturday, the Press Trust of India reported Sunday.
Youth activists from Jamaat-e-Islami in Pakistan had performed a similar act at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore in February 1999 after Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit there.
According to PTI a group of 10 Shiv Sena activists entered the sanctuary eluding massive security, carrying "Ganga jal" or water from the Hindu holy river Ganga and other materials in polythene bags and poured it over the site where Gandhi's remains are buried.
Om Dutt Sharma, president of Shiv Sena's Delhi unit said that the place has now been "purified," adding that four of his party activists were arrested after the "ritual."
The group was originally a part of 25 activists who marched to the Rajghat but as the security forces confronted them, about 10 people managed to "sneak in" and performed the ritual, Sharma said.
He justified the action saying that his organization held Musharraf responsible for the 1999 Kargil conflict in which many Indian soldiers were killed.
"We believe he (Musharraf) was the architect of Kargil and is responsible for martyrdom of our soldiers," he said. "His floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace, had made it impure."
"Gandhi had never wanted bloodshed between India and Pakistan," he added.
Traders in the city of Ajmer, the site of the shrine of famous Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti where Musharraf is scheduled to visit tomorrow, have also vowed to "cleanse" the streets after the Pakistani President's visit.
In another sour note of Musharraf's visit to India, India's Air Chief Marshal A. Y. Tipnis did not salute Musharraf at the ceremonial reception in Rashtrapati Bhavan (presidential palace) and only shook hands with him.
Tipnis, who was representing the three armed forces as per the rotation principle for ceremonial welcomes, was in the front row of dignitaries and there was widespread speculation as to how he would greet the Pakistani leader.
During Vajpayee's visit to Lahore in 1999 it was widely reported that all three-service chiefs of Pakistan including Musharraf had refused to come to the Wagah border to greet the Indian prime minister.
Speculation is also rife in some quarters of India with respect to the selection of six foot wing commander Pawan Rishirom to lead the inter-services guard of honor to escort Musharraf for inspection of the 150 member contingent of defense personnel.
According to some media reports the tall parade commander was deliberately selected so that Musharraf had to look up to him at the end of the guard of honor while taking the salute.
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