TNN
 
New Delhi, Nov 17: Sangh Parivar on Sunday openly came out in support of the Malegaon blast accused. 

Acording to agency reports, among those present at the Panipat conclave was Uttarakhand chief minister B C Khanduri. Khanduri, who retired from the Army as a Major General, has never been seen as a favourite of the Sangh leadership who seemed to back B S Koshiyari for the CM’s job after the polls.

The Panipat meeting saw BJP chief Rajnath Singh competing with VHP leaders in expressing solidarity with the Malegaon blast accused.

"Politics in India has always had a deep relationship with religion. I, on behalf of the BJP, want to assure the seers that maligning of their name by the UPA will not be tolerated by the party," Singh was quoted as saying.

"These investigations are inspired by political motives," the BJP chief added.

But VHP's Singhal was far more aggressive in defending the alleged godmen who have been named by Maharashtra's ATS as suspects in the Malegaon case.

The international president of VHP said the arrests were part of a larger conspiracy by UPA under Sonia Gandhi to undermine the Hindu faith. "The harassment and arrest of Kanchi Shankaracharya on murder charges was planned by her," Singhal said.