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Rao blames Kalyan govt for Babri demolition

Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao Monday told the Liberhan Commission that the Babri Masjid had become a "hostage" in the hands of Kalyan Singh-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh in December 1992 and the Centre had not even a "toe hold" anywhere in the state physically.

Explaining the sequence of events leading to demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992, he said, "The hostage crisis became even more serious when the kar sevaks assembled there in large numbers."

Asserting that the Centre had no role to play except to help the state government, Rao said even the Supreme Court had in effect told the government of India to keep out.

Rao said the court itself had taken effective steps including appointing an observer and securing an affidavit from the state government to safegaurd the structure.

He said he had sent 20,000 central forces to the state who were stationed barely 10 minutes away from the disputed structure but their deployment was entirely dependent on the orders of the state government.

Rao blamed the sants for failure of parleys saying the Dharam Sansad had unilaterally announced the kar seva date before the third round of talks scheduled on November 8, 1992.

In its meeting on October 30-31, 1992, the Dharam Sansad fixed December 6, 1992 for kar seva. As a result of the unilateral decision, the talks failed.

"When the two sides came for the meeting on November 8, 1992, the other side (Muslim leaders) said since the sants have unilaterally fixed the date for kar seva, there is no point in continuing the negotiations," Rao said.

The former premier also said that he owed an explanation to history on the demolition.

The statement came when counsel for the All India Muslim Personal Law Board Y H Muchhala asked him not to read out the Supreme Court order in the matter as the same was already available with the commission.

"I am explaining it to history and not to you my friend," Rao told Muchhala and went on to read the November 25, 1992 order of the apex court.

On this, Justice Liberhan remarked, "The old man is not tired but the younger ones are."

Then again Rao shot back "I have been accused of... I can't be tired. I have to explain it to history."

Rao appeared for the third time as witness before the commission.

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