12-04-2004, 12:36 AM
'Masjid demolition was an act of God'
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh on Friday retracted his earlier statement that a conspiracy had been hatched by BJP president L K Advani and other senior party leaders to demolish the disputed Babri Masjid structure. Deposing before the Liberhan Commission probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of the structure at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, Mr Singh in his amended affidavit stated: <b>"The demolition was an act of God and for what happened I have no regret, no repentance, no sorrow and no grief."
"Since Lord Ram symbolized the ethos of Indian nationalism, historians will write that devotees of the nation had demolished the symbol of slavery and disgrace, though this demolition was purely sudden and unplanned,"</b> he added. Singh, who supplied a detailed affidavit to the Commission, stated that on June 20, 2003, he had come across a newspaper report in which it was alleged that the Uttar Pradesh Government had failed to make arrangements for the protection of the disputed structure and deploy stationed Central forces.
This statement before the Commission by the Centre's counsel had angered Mr Singh, following which he told the media that there was a conspiracy between former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP President LK Advani and senior party leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi to demolish the disputed structure. "I have no knowledge, information or evidence to support the above allegation, since it was an incorrect statement made in furious reaction," Mr Singh clarified. He added that Mr Advani did not ask him to resign from his post on the day of the demolition as he had already done so at his own will.
Mr Singh, who faced questions from Commission head Justice MS Liberhan, stated he had no role, either direct or indirect, in the demolition of the disputed structure. At the same time, he made it amply clear that he had always been in favour of the construction of a Grand Ram Temple at the very place where the disputed structure stood.<b> By erecting the Babri Masjid at the birthplace of Lord Ram, Babar had wanted to humiliate the Hindus. Since Lord Ram is the symbol of Indian ethos, culture and nationalism, the disputed structure was a symbol of slavery and disgrace to the entire Hindu nation, </b>claimed Mr Singh.
But this never came in the way of maintaining law and order in the state and protecting the structure at all costs. As Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Singh said, he had issued strict orders that short of firing all measures should be employed to secure the structure. From time to time, the instructions from the Centre to review the security arrangements were complied with. Though no specific information was received by the administration till the date of the incident, there was no laxity on the part of the state administration, he added.
But despite all the efforts, the structure could not be protected. <b>What had happened on the day of the incident was purely sudden and unplanned, which could at best be termed a self-generated public resentment and outburst of the crushed feelings of the masses for centuries, </b> he added.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh on Friday retracted his earlier statement that a conspiracy had been hatched by BJP president L K Advani and other senior party leaders to demolish the disputed Babri Masjid structure. Deposing before the Liberhan Commission probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of the structure at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, Mr Singh in his amended affidavit stated: <b>"The demolition was an act of God and for what happened I have no regret, no repentance, no sorrow and no grief."
"Since Lord Ram symbolized the ethos of Indian nationalism, historians will write that devotees of the nation had demolished the symbol of slavery and disgrace, though this demolition was purely sudden and unplanned,"</b> he added. Singh, who supplied a detailed affidavit to the Commission, stated that on June 20, 2003, he had come across a newspaper report in which it was alleged that the Uttar Pradesh Government had failed to make arrangements for the protection of the disputed structure and deploy stationed Central forces.
This statement before the Commission by the Centre's counsel had angered Mr Singh, following which he told the media that there was a conspiracy between former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP President LK Advani and senior party leader Dr Murli Manohar Joshi to demolish the disputed structure. "I have no knowledge, information or evidence to support the above allegation, since it was an incorrect statement made in furious reaction," Mr Singh clarified. He added that Mr Advani did not ask him to resign from his post on the day of the demolition as he had already done so at his own will.
Mr Singh, who faced questions from Commission head Justice MS Liberhan, stated he had no role, either direct or indirect, in the demolition of the disputed structure. At the same time, he made it amply clear that he had always been in favour of the construction of a Grand Ram Temple at the very place where the disputed structure stood.<b> By erecting the Babri Masjid at the birthplace of Lord Ram, Babar had wanted to humiliate the Hindus. Since Lord Ram is the symbol of Indian ethos, culture and nationalism, the disputed structure was a symbol of slavery and disgrace to the entire Hindu nation, </b>claimed Mr Singh.
But this never came in the way of maintaining law and order in the state and protecting the structure at all costs. As Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Singh said, he had issued strict orders that short of firing all measures should be employed to secure the structure. From time to time, the instructions from the Centre to review the security arrangements were complied with. Though no specific information was received by the administration till the date of the incident, there was no laxity on the part of the state administration, he added.
But despite all the efforts, the structure could not be protected. <b>What had happened on the day of the incident was purely sudden and unplanned, which could at best be termed a self-generated public resentment and outburst of the crushed feelings of the masses for centuries, </b> he added.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->