SP MP defends Mulayam Singh Yadav over 1990 firing incident
Samajwadi Party MP Sanatan Pandey claimed the former Prime Minister acted to protect the Constitution and prevent civil war.
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Sanatan Pandey defended former Prime Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday regarding the 1990 firing on Kar Sevaks, according to ANI. Speaking to reporters in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, Pandey stated that the action taken by Singh was intended to uphold the Indian Constitution and prevent a potential civil war.
Pandey accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misleading the public for 35 years by politicising the incident. He argued that the responsibility to ensure no one reached the disputed site, which was subject to a court-ordered stay, rested with the Central government and local authorities.
The MP suggested that had the order to open fire not been given, the mosque or temple might have been destroyed, potentially triggering a civil war. He noted that the Indian Army had been deployed at the time.
In a separate statement, Uttar Pradesh Minister OP Rajbhar accused the Samajwadi Party of ordering the firing under the direction of Singh. Rajbhar, as reported by The News Mill, claimed Singh addressed the incident in both the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assembly, and alleged that Ram Gopal Yadav had also acknowledged the order.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also addressed the matter during an event in Ayodhya. Adityanath demanded that SP chief Akhilesh Yadav apologise to the Kar Sevaks who were fired upon during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and express remorse for the incident.