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"The oppressive, undemocratic and uncivilised attitude of Yadav and backtracking by former prime minister V P Singh on the promises he had made had strengthened the resolve of kar sevaks (volunteers) who pulled down the masjid," Joshi said while narrating the events of Nov 2, 1990, when kar sevaks were fired upon at Ayodhya, to the Liberhan Commission of Inquiry probing the Babri mosque demolition.
"The BJP's attitude on the Ayodhya issue was of grand reconciliation to undo the wrongs of history. But instead of finding a solution and initiating a dialogue, Yadav adopted a highly oppressive approach towards the kar sevaks," he said.
Dr Joshi accused Yadav of being partial and making attempts to appease Muslims to corner their votes without even considering the views of the leaders of the Ayodhya movement.
He also came down heavily on V P Singh and said that instead of finding a solution to the dispute he backtracked from the promises made on the issue. "The former prime minister had promised to resolve the Ayodhya tangle in four months, but instead he sometimes formed a committee, offered certain solutions and then withdrew them and later changed his stance."
"BJP leader L K Advani had said that the issue should be resolved and he was available and responding to the offers made but failed miserably due to V P Singh's approach," Joshi told the commission.
He said that the BJP perceived the mosque in Ayodhya to have been built by Babar to signify his victory over the country and not as a service to Islam. Yet, the party sought to resolve the issue through negotiations and had not propagated demolition of the structure.
He said that firing on the kar sevaks on November 2, 1990, in which 50 people died and over 100 were hurt, reaffirmed the resolve of people associated with the Ayodhya movement.
"In such movements it so happens that many a times when agitating people feel that whatever they are doing is being opposed through oppression and brutality they pursue the cause with greater vigour. The government has a greater responsibility in solving such issues. Instead of taking recourse to politics it should have tried to solve problem on the negotiating table," the Union minister said.
Dr Joshi said that withdrawal of an ordinance on the Ayodhya issue and arrest of Advani and other leaders of the Ayodhya movement in 1990 aggravated tension and people resorted to agitations and strikes all over the country in support of the Ayodhya movement.
UNI
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