The Vishwa Hindu Parishad plans to approach the high court after the Andhra Pradesh police withdrew permission to hold meetings in three towns in the Rayalaseema region from March 17 to 19.

The police cited the ongoing school examinations and the law and order situation as the reasons for its action.

VHP general secretary Pravin Togadia was to address the meetings in Anantapur, Cuddapah and Kurnool on March 17, 18 and 19, respectively.

The last-minute action of the police has angered the BJP and other Sangh Parivar outfits, which termed the move as 'unwarranted and undemocratic' since the VHP is not a banned organisation and is well within its democratic rights to hold public meetings.

In a statement, BJP state vice-president S V Seshagiri Rao said the reasons cited for the police action was ridiculous.

"It is unfortunate that the state government chose to give in to the pressure tactics of communists and pseudo-secularists," Rao said.

Demanding revocation of the restrictions imposed on the VHP, the BJP warned that the government would be responsible for the consequences if it persisted with its 'repressive measures'.

Other parties in the state, including the Congress, CPI, CPI-M, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Majlis Bachao Tahreek, have stoutly opposed the meetings, styled as 'Hindu Garjana' (roar of the Hindus), in the state, which has a significant Muslim population.

Expressing fears that such meetings could result in communal clashes, CPI-M state secretary B V Raghuvulu appealed to the government to take pre-emptive action and prevent potential trouble. He expressed fears that communal forces would try to destabilize peace in the Rayalaseema region.

The STBC College, a Christian institution, cancelled the permission to the VHP to hold public meeting at the college grounds.

Several Christian and Muslim organizations, including the National Congress of Indian Christians, appealed to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to ban the entry of VHP leaders into the state.