05-06-2007, 04:15 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Two PMs who divided India
Second Opinion: MC Joshi
In a bid to woo Muslim voters, Mr Rahul Gandhi, during one of his road shows ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, opted to play the Babri card. He chose the Muslim dominated area of Deoband to claim that if there had been any member of his family in active politics when the Babri structure was demolished, the eventuality could have been averted. Those who took this statement for a slip by a political novice had to think again when Mr Gandhi reiterated his statement while speaking to the media in Kanpur on April 4.
It is, therefore, necessary to put the record straight. On March 24, 1986, when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, a $1.4 billion contract was signed between the Government and Swedish arms company AB Bofors for the supply of 155mm howitzers numbering over 400. On April 16, 1987, Swedish Radio disclosed that Bofors had paid kickbacks to top Indian politicians and key defence officials to secure the deal. The Opposition raised a storm alleging that Rajiv Gandhi was the main kickback beneficiary. Dubious cover-up efforts by the family loyalists resulted in serious differences between Rajiv Gandhi and members of his Cabinet, which climaxed in the resignation of then Finance Minister VP Singh from the Cabinet.
Subsequently, Mr VP Singh walked out of the Congress. Riding the Bofors wave, he became the Prime Minister after the 1989 election. On August 7, 1990, he implemented the Mandal Commission report to rob Devi Lal of his backward class vote-bank and the BJP of its Hindu following.
The BJP, which was till then with Mr VP Singh, parted company and aggressively picked up the Ayodhya issue to regain national focus. Subsequently, Mr LK Advani was arrested in Bihar while leading the rath yatra to Ayodhya. The killing of karsevaks in Ayodhya in police firing followed on October 30 and November 2, 1990. This precipitated the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.
It was Rajiv Gandhi's folly that led to the rise of Mr VP Singh during whose tenure as Prime Minister, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav basked in the unfounded glory of unleashing brute police force on the karsevaks. Starting 1985, one governmental bungling after another turned the Hindutva forces more bellicose. In hindsight, it seems, the Babri structure might have remained had Rajiv Gandhi never been the country's Prime Minister.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?
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Second Opinion: MC Joshi
In a bid to woo Muslim voters, Mr Rahul Gandhi, during one of his road shows ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, opted to play the Babri card. He chose the Muslim dominated area of Deoband to claim that if there had been any member of his family in active politics when the Babri structure was demolished, the eventuality could have been averted. Those who took this statement for a slip by a political novice had to think again when Mr Gandhi reiterated his statement while speaking to the media in Kanpur on April 4.
It is, therefore, necessary to put the record straight. On March 24, 1986, when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, a $1.4 billion contract was signed between the Government and Swedish arms company AB Bofors for the supply of 155mm howitzers numbering over 400. On April 16, 1987, Swedish Radio disclosed that Bofors had paid kickbacks to top Indian politicians and key defence officials to secure the deal. The Opposition raised a storm alleging that Rajiv Gandhi was the main kickback beneficiary. Dubious cover-up efforts by the family loyalists resulted in serious differences between Rajiv Gandhi and members of his Cabinet, which climaxed in the resignation of then Finance Minister VP Singh from the Cabinet.
Subsequently, Mr VP Singh walked out of the Congress. Riding the Bofors wave, he became the Prime Minister after the 1989 election. On August 7, 1990, he implemented the Mandal Commission report to rob Devi Lal of his backward class vote-bank and the BJP of its Hindu following.
The BJP, which was till then with Mr VP Singh, parted company and aggressively picked up the Ayodhya issue to regain national focus. Subsequently, Mr LK Advani was arrested in Bihar while leading the rath yatra to Ayodhya. The killing of karsevaks in Ayodhya in police firing followed on October 30 and November 2, 1990. This precipitated the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.
It was Rajiv Gandhi's folly that led to the rise of Mr VP Singh during whose tenure as Prime Minister, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav basked in the unfounded glory of unleashing brute police force on the karsevaks. Starting 1985, one governmental bungling after another turned the Hindutva forces more bellicose. In hindsight, it seems, the Babri structure might have remained had Rajiv Gandhi never been the country's Prime Minister.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?
main_variable=EDITS&file_name=edit4%2Etxt&counter_img=4
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