Starting with President K R Narayanan's unexpected decision to amend his New Year message to the nation to voice his concern on the issue, the Government is coming under increasing pressure to act.

Today, Commerce Minister and Lok Shakti chief Ramakrishna Hegde also spoke out, describing the attacks on churches as ``anti-national''. After Mamata Banerjee, he is the second BJP ally to criticise the incidents and more can be expected to follow suit.

Although Home Minister L K Advani took pains yesterday to point out that the incidents were sporadic in nature and could not be called communal riots, evidence of a saffron hand in the trouble makes it more than just another law and order problem for the BJP-led Government.

Certainly, the Centre will have to take note of the expressions of concern coming from all sides,beginning with the President.

Narayanan took the unusual step last night of changing his New Year greetings to include a subtle message on the communal situation.

Rashtrapati Bhavan withdrew the President's earlier message late in the evening and sent out a fresh text which quoted from Vivekananda's address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. Vivekananda had described India as ``the most wonderful land of toleration'' where ``Indians build temples for Mohammedans and Christians.''

``We not only believe in universal acceptance but accept all religions as true,'' Vivekananda had said. The President called on the nation to prove worthy of this heritage.

It was the strongest signal Rashtrapati Bhavan could send and the fact that Narayanan chose to change his message at the last minute is being seen in political circles as a diplomatic way of telling the BJP Government to curb its fundamentalist fringe.

The earlier message from the President did not contain the quotation fromVivekananda's speech. The addition was made after news of fresh trouble in both states came in last evening.

The communal trouble has also figured in most of Narayanan's meetings with prominent individuals and political groups over the past one week. Virtually everyone calling on him expressed concern at the escalation of violence, particularly against Christians who have rarely been targets of communal hatred.

Although the BJP's allies have not said anything so far, many of them need minority votes. Firebrands like Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalitha can be expected to join in the criticism. So can the Samata Party and the TDP.Tomorrow, the Congress will mount its offensive in the form of an appeal to the President to intervene formally and direct the Centre to protect the minorities in Karnataka and Gujarat.

Non-Congress Opposition parties also reacted to the Gujarat developments with former prime minister and Janata Dal leader H D Deve Gowda demanding the immediate dismissal of the state government. Hesaid that there was incontrovertible evidence of total breakdown of Constitutional machinery in the state.