Kalyan lied, Rao made wrong judgement on Babri: Govt

Holding former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao responsible for “wrong political judgement”, the Congress-led second UPA government today tried to shift the blame of the demolition of Babri Masjid on the BJP and its then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Kalyan Singh.

Replying amid protests and slogans from the BJP members, Home Minister P Chidambaram said, “It was a wrong political decision by Narasimha Rao. The Congress had to pay the price for it. But Rao’s decision was induced by false promises made by the BJP leaders.”

Launching an attack on Kalyan Singh and the BJP, Chidambaram said, “Singh had made solemn promises to protect the Babri Masjid Ramjanmabhumi structure. But he deployed just four companies of paramilitary forces. Kalyan Singh lied to the government of India. He lied to the Supreme Court and to the National Integration Council.”

Defending the then Congress government, Chidambaram quoted facts from the Liberhan Commission report and Supreme Court orders to say, “No one can accuse the Congress government for that day. It gave adequate forces. Kalyan Singh, in his last letter to Narasimha Rao reiterated his commitment to protect the structure.”

Chidambaram also defended the Liberhan Commission’s judgment that the demolition was a meticulously planned operation and questioned how the Karsevaks managed to get hammers, iron rods and other equipment to break down the structure. “The dome of the Masjid was not demolished by people who were on top of it. But a hole was made from beneath and then pulled down by ropes. If this was not a planned action, then what was?”

The government today sounded soft on former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and tried to draw a line of demarcation between Vajpayee and L K Advani. Both the leaders have been named in the Liberhan Commission report.

“I have great respect for Mr Vajpayee. He was not there on December 6 but was there the previous evening.” Charging that Advani had unrestricted access to all information on what was happening during Kar Seva, the Home Minister said, “On the morning of December 6, Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi had a breakfast meeting with Vinay Katiyar. Tell us what was discussed in the meeting?”

Rejecting BJP’s contention that “spontaneous” action by Karsevaks resulted in the demolition of Babri Masjid, Chidambaram said it was a “pre-planned, cold-blooded” destruction. “Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Paramhans Ramdas announced in the public address system, ‘demolish the structure. You will never get another opportunity’. He also gave slogans ‘give another push and demolish the Masjid’. He admitted these during his interrogation at the Liberhan Commission. The BJP leaders should at least own up to their responsibility.”