n the evening, the Kamaraj Memorial Hall in Chennai was decked in colours and symbols associated with Hinduism and the VHP.On the dais, with a picture of Lord Rama (a befitting image for a man who has made the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya the dominant motif of his life) as the backdrop, sat among others Jayendra Saraswathi, the shankaracharya of Kanchi, and Vishvesh Theertha Swami of the Pejawar Mutt, Udupi.
Representing the Hindutva's political brigade were Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart Murli Manohar Joshi. And, of course, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K S Sudarshan. One intriguing presence: Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy, who left the BJP in the late 1970s and has come closer to his parent party in recent months. Intriguing absentees: BJP President Rajnath Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani and Narendra Modi.
The dominant colour on the dais was saffron, and the call was, 'Hindus all over the world, unite!'
Also see:
Memoirs of a Hindutva hawk
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