Remember the incident in Hubli-Dharwad, when a public ground was encroached upon by an Islamic body, the land-grab supported by the state Congress and citizens disallowed to unfurl the tricolor which they did for decades on that maidan? To refresh your memory, Uma Bharti tried to forcibly hoist the flag. What was an illegal encroachment by Islamic body, what was a fundamental right of common citizens (hoisting the flag), what was an blatantly anti-national stance (of disallowing hoisting of flag) by the said Islamic body - all became secondary.
What became the focus was Uma Bharti forcibly hoisting the flag, the subsequent arrest warrant executed 10 years post haste that ultimately led to her resignation as the Chief Minister of MP.
The ghost of that grossly anti-national mischief is taking rebirth - no not in a remote town like Hubli this time - but in the nation's capital.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Double standards of a secular kind</b>
<b>The historic Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi has in the not-so-distant past witnessed huge and sometimes historic rallies.</b>
Of late, however, it has been shunned by parties because it is no longer possible for any of them to gather half-a-million people to fill up the ground.
<b>Delhiites are now shocked that a multi-storeyed complex has come up just behind what is the main podium, from where speakers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Jayaprakash Narayan often inspired the faithful.
</b>
<b>The building, named Haj House, has come up on land that is an integral part of the Maidan.</b> Several prominent residents of the area have taken up the matter with the authorities, to no avail.
<b>Nobody was willing to invite the wrath of those who had encroached on the public maidan in such a flagrant manner.</b>
<span style='color:#FF0000'><b>In sharp contrast, a month ago, an old temple on Rajendra Prasad Road was partially demolished by authorities when senior leaders of the Opposition, including Uma Bharti and Vijay Kumar Malhotra, rushed to the spot and stopped the demolition of idols.</b></span><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/12capbuz.htm
What became the focus was Uma Bharti forcibly hoisting the flag, the subsequent arrest warrant executed 10 years post haste that ultimately led to her resignation as the Chief Minister of MP.
The ghost of that grossly anti-national mischief is taking rebirth - no not in a remote town like Hubli this time - but in the nation's capital.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Double standards of a secular kind</b>
<b>The historic Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi has in the not-so-distant past witnessed huge and sometimes historic rallies.</b>
Of late, however, it has been shunned by parties because it is no longer possible for any of them to gather half-a-million people to fill up the ground.
<b>Delhiites are now shocked that a multi-storeyed complex has come up just behind what is the main podium, from where speakers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Jayaprakash Narayan often inspired the faithful.
</b>
<b>The building, named Haj House, has come up on land that is an integral part of the Maidan.</b> Several prominent residents of the area have taken up the matter with the authorities, to no avail.
<b>Nobody was willing to invite the wrath of those who had encroached on the public maidan in such a flagrant manner.</b>
<span style='color:#FF0000'><b>In sharp contrast, a month ago, an old temple on Rajendra Prasad Road was partially demolished by authorities when senior leaders of the Opposition, including Uma Bharti and Vijay Kumar Malhotra, rushed to the spot and stopped the demolition of idols.</b></span><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/12capbuz.htm