Opinion Straw polls

Its cover story declares that the bypoll results — the BJP winning Tehri and improving its voteshare in Jangipur — were serious “reverses”,cause for the Congress to be “jittery”. A news report in Panchjanya calls the Tehri result a message against “Bahuguna and Sonia” from the people,fed up with the “corruption and arrogance” of the Congress. Organiser also highlights the almost three-fold jump in the BJP’s votes in Jangipur as a recognition of the saffron party’s emergence as “a power to be reckoned” with in West Bengal.

But the Organiser article also attributes the BJP’s Tehri victory to the “united” front put up by its leaders — former CMs Bhagat Singh Koshiyari,B.C. Khanduri and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank — this time round. It argues that “if the same spirit would have been infused in the assembly polls the party would not have been out of power” in the first place.

Mandir and Mulayam

The Sangh Parivar has raised the alarm over what it calls “clandestine” moves by the Uttar Pradesh government for an “out of court settlement” that,“if reports are to be believed”,also includes “building a mosque within the religious boundaries of Ayodhya”. Echoing the warning issued against the move by VHP leader Ashok Singhal,the Organiser editorial wonders whether “Mullah Mulayam covets [the title of Babar II ?”

Recounting Mulayam Singh Yadav’s history of “pandering” to Muslims,the editorial claims that unconfirmed reports suggesting a “solution favouring Muslims” hold “credence” because Mulayam’s son Akhilesh is heading the government. Apprehensive that the UPA government is also a “willing” party to these covert moves to “force a decision on Hindus”,Organiser says that Hindus will not tolerate any solution that will allow a mosque within the religious perimeters of Ayodhya. While Organiser has done an editorial,Panchjanya has published a cover story on the subject.

SIMI Red

Panchjanya has raised fears about the reportedly growing links between Naxalites and the ISI,after this claim was made by the West Bengal DGP at a recent meeting in Delhi.

Highlighting that the “banned anti-national terrorist organisation SIMI is working to “coordinate” with the ISI and Naxalites,the editorial asserts that the UPA has been in “denial” about such developments. The editorial reminds the government of “Chinese help” in allegedly making arms available to Maoists through the ISI,in order to highlight the “China-ISI” nexus in Nepal that runs counter to India’s interests.

While the editorial says the government must rise against those working behind the scenes to create an internal security challenge,it blames the “Congress and secular” mindset of the government. In this context,it also expresses its apprehensions that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s pro-minority and soft attitude towards Maoists may compound the challenge,despite the Bengal DGP flagging it.

Compiled by Ravish Tiwari