Lalu brands Kalyan "convict" in Babri demolition case

In a bid to woo Muslim voters, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad slammed former BJP leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh for the demolition of Babri mosque and branded him a “convict” in the case on Saturday.

Continuing attack on Kalyan Singh, Lalu Prasad said: “He is the convict in the demolition of Babri Masjid.

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He is not a member of the Samajwadi Party.”

The criticism has been made by the RJD chief at a time when Kalyan Singh has already been campaigning for the Samajwadi Party, the alliance partner of RJD in UP and Bihar, and contesting Lok Sabha poll as an Independent from Etah.

Kalyan Singh had shrugged Bhartiya Janata Party’s hand just before the Lok Sabha polls and joined hands of the erstwhile adversary Samajwadi Party.

Interestingly, one-time critique of the Muslims, Kalyan Singh, started playing minority cards in this election to garner their support, and said during campaign that he was unaware of the demolition and was kept in the dark.

“I was told that nothing would happen to the Babri Masjid. There was conspiracy by the BJP behind it.”

Kalyan Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when Babri Masjid was razed to the ground on December 6, 1992 in Ayodhya.

Babri Masjid issue did not exempt even Congress, which had to join the battle after RJD supremo’s charge that Congress should also to be blamed for the demolition of the Babri mosque.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rejecting the RJD’s charge had earlier said that Congress’ only fault was that it relied on the assurance of the then UP chief minister Kalyan Singh, who gave a solemn assurance to the Supreme Court about protecting the mosque.

This issue, which had been buried long below, was again excavated this year first by Kalyan Singh after relinquishing BJP and now being exploited by RJD to encash communal card.

Lalu is contesting Lok Sabha elections from two seats—Saran and Patliputra in Bihar. The tough contest in Saran where elections held on April 16 has kept the former Bihar chief minister on its toe, and so he is applying all weapons in his armoury to register victory in Patliputra which will go to poll on May 7.