JOIN US“I seek forgiveness of the Muslims of the country for joining hands with some wrong elements during the last year’s general elections to prevent the communal forces from coming to power,” Mulayam said in a statement here.
“My decision caused confusion among the secular forces and the Muslims felt deeply hurt... it was a mistake and it will never happen again in future,” the SP supremo further said, adding that he would “never join hands with the forces responsible for the demolition of Babri Masjid”.
It may be recalled that Kalyan Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when the disputed structure was demolished in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.He said that he had always opposed the communal forces and would continue to do so in future.
The SP leader’s apology comes at a time when the next assembly polls in the state is two year’s away and is aimed at mending fences with the Muslims, which used to form his party’s core vote bank alongwith the Yadavs. The SP could secure only 23 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state in May 2009.
Reacting to Mulayam’s apology, Kalyan Singh said that Mulayam was an “opportunist”. “Mulayam has lost support of the people and will never come to power again,” he said.
Congress, BSP and the BJP have termed Mulayam’s apology as a “desperate attempt” to bring the Muslims back to his fold to grab power. “It’s a desperate bid to garner Muslim support,” said a UP Congress leader.BSP supremo Mayawati also said the Muslims have seen the ‘true face’ of Mulayam and would never forgive him.A former Mulayam loyalist and expelled SP leader Azam Khan said that the apology was “too late”.