The dispute within the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) came to the fore when two rival groups came to a head during a press conference being held at Press Club in lucknow on Tuesday. later angry members owing allegiance to one of the groups, torched the hoarding of the other at the busy Hazratganj crossing.
The spat started when a group led by Swami Chakrapani was addressing a press conference at the Press Club and asked the BJP to announce a date for the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya failing which Hindus would not support them in the coming Assembly polls. The group had also set up several big hoardings in lucknow which stated - “ If Ram temple is not built by 2016, no vote for the BJP in 2017”.
On being asked by scribes as to why he was opposing the BJP even as he was regularly attending programmes with BJP MP from Unnao, Sakshi Maharaj, Chakrapani could not come up with a satisfactory reply.
During the interaction, supporters of another faction headed by jailed leader Kamlesh Tiwari, stormed the Press Club and raised slogans against Swami Chakrapani and his supporters. To avoid any clash, Chakrapani left the Club premises in a hurry along with his supporters. Notsatisfied with his exit, angry supporters of Tiwari later marched to teh Hazratganj crossing where they set fire to the hoarding of Swami Chakrapani.
The dispute between different groups in the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha has been ragin on and even the court has refused to recognize any one as the President of the Mahasabha. Recently, the Election Commission too had refused to give a common symbol to Hindu Mahasabha candidates in the Assembly polls in five states.
Working President of the ad hoc committee, Baba Nand Kishore Mishra has been fighting the case in the court. He said that Swami Chakrapani has been sacked and he is not even a primary member of the Hindu Mahasabha.
The Mahasabha owned property in Delhi is said to be the bone of contention among the warring factions. A group led by Chakrapani and the other by Chandra Prakash Kaushik are already occupying the sprawling campus of the Central office in New Delhi.
