Lucknow, February 2
In a damage control exercise, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav today claimed that joining hands with former BJP leader Kalyan Singh would dampen the chances of LK Advani and Narendra Modi becoming the next Prime Minister.
Addressing a press conference, Yadav responded to the growing disillusionment amongst the Muslims by putting the blame on the media for misleading them through their reports regarding bailing out Kalyan on his role in the Babri Masjid demolition.
Asserting that Kalyan Singh was “morally responsible as the then UP CM for the demolition of the Babri mosque”, Yadav said if his statement on the issue had been properly highlighted, there would not have been any confusion. His party had no “alliance” but only “friendship” with him, he added.
Virtually taking a U-turn on the issue, he said there was no denying the fact that Kalyan Singh, as the then Chief Minister, should have taken steps to prevent the demolition of the mosque. “But that did not mean that he was totally responsible for the demolition of the Babri mosque. The mosque was demolished by the RSS and the Shiv Sena,” he stated.
“Kalyan Singh indeed took moral responsibility for the demolition by stepping down as the Chief Minister on December 6, 1992,” asserted Yadav. When he was reminded that in fact Kalyan Singh had been sacked, he quickly added that it was a case of both.
Yadav claimed that his main political aim was to prevent LK Advani and Narendra Modi from reaching the top post. “For this, I am ready take the help of anyone prepared to crush
communal forces. Kalyan Singh has pledged to bring about the downfall of the BJP and, therefore, I am extending a hand of support.”
Brushing aside a question regarding rebellion of the party's Muslim MPs on Kalyan joining hands with the SP, Yadav said: “I know them. They are reacting to newspaper reports. The media has misguided them. But I am certain that they will realise the truth very soon.”
Defending the alliance with Kalyan, the SP president said it was in no way an obstacle in his relationship with the Congress. He claimed that talks with the Congress were on and an alliance would be finalised soon.
