JOIN USBabri demolition planned: Centre
But the Home Minister did not shy away from stating that the then P V Narasimha Rao government at the Centre made a “wrong political judgment” by trusting the VHP.
Amidst a high-pitched chorus of protest by the BJP-Shiv Sena, Chidambaram asserted in the Lok Sabha that the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya was “pre-planned” and conducted by the Sangh Parivar with BJP leaders like L K Advani and M M Joshi playing a definite role in the act.
The Home Minister, whose speech was hardly audible with the slogan-shouting in favour of BJP veterans Atal Behari Vajpayee and Advani renting the air, declared that the Liberhan Commission report spelt out two ideologies — progressive and regressive. “The Congress-led secular thought being a clear winner over the BJP’s divisive agenda in 2004 and 2009,” he claimed.
Chidambaram said kar sevaks from various states and logistical support was mobilised with the “sole intention” of destroying the structure.
On the role of the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, Chidambaram said the state government had “lied” to the Centre, the Supreme Court and the National Integration Council that the mosque would be protected.
Regretting that the Nara-simha Rao government had made a “wrong political judgment”, he said it was based on the promises of the state government. “The promises made by the BJP were completely false... to induce us in a state of optimistic slumber,” he said.
“The entire act was pre-planned, wanton, conspiratorial and cold-blooded destruction,” he declared, adding that Advani and Joshi made “feeble” attempts to stop the activists, which indicated a “hidden” intent of complicity.