With Lok Sabha elections looming over the immediate horizon, NDA prime ministerial hopeful and top BJP leader LK Advani used his Urdu website to refute allegations he continues to face for involvement in the demolition of the ‘Babri Masjid’ in Ayodhya way back on December 6, 1992.
The BJP stalwart says he was unaware of any plans to destroy the disputed structure on that fateful day.
"We were unaware of what was happening. We appealed to the kar sevaks on the dome to get down," he writes.
Many believe that the proceedings in Ayodhya were a culmination of Advani’s Somnath-Ayodhya Rath Yatra of 1991, which saw the firebrand leader exhort the majority community to seek rights over the disputed structure as a symbol of honour.
A section in the media had described the ‘Yatra’ as a “bloody journey,” a simile that Advani, in the post, he was deeply hurt by.
He adds that no incident of communal violence happened along the way of the Yatra and says it was opposition propaganda that resulted in the campaign being perceived of as anti-Muslim.
Trying to set the record straight once and for all, he says: "Kya meri yatra Muslim Mukhalif thi, bilkul nahi."
He further urged Muslims to use their franchise to favour "supreme national interests" and not to be swayed by "motivated" campaigns.
The demolition was followed by widespread communal violence.
Advani says the Hindu society is a tolerant one, he adds, "I would be very sad if Hindus leave the virtue of tolerance but I would be saddest if someone attributes this virtue to be a weakness."
Leaders cutting across political parties, later, said the post is the last ditch effort by Advani to woo Muslim voters for the BJP, which continued to push its campaign ahead on Friday n face of major dissentions.
The demolition of the ‘Babri Masjid’ was a major factor contributing to the meteoric rise of regional parties in the northern heartlands, as both the Congress, which was at the helm of a minority alliance government at Center at the time, and the BJP suffered a colossal loss of face amongst Muslim voters after the demolition.
Muslim parliamentarians, including those from the Congress, had used various platforms to launch a scathing attack against then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, with a little known Muslim leader from Gujarat – Ahmed Patel – perhaps, being the only one to defend Rao.
Patel is the present number two in the Congress hierarchy and serves as political advisor to Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.
(With Inputs from the PTI)
Advani to Start “Sankalp Yatras” From Feb.4
January 23, 2009Visionmp.com News Service
Uncapping plans to rally support for his prime ministerial campaign, Advani has decided to resume his Vijay Sankalp Yatras across the country.
The Yatra will commence from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh on February 4.
The BJP stalwart says he was unaware of any plans to destroy the disputed structure on that fateful day.
"We were unaware of what was happening. We appealed to the kar sevaks on the dome to get down," he writes.
Many believe that the proceedings in Ayodhya were a culmination of Advani’s Somnath-Ayodhya Rath Yatra of 1991, which saw the firebrand leader exhort the majority community to seek rights over the disputed structure as a symbol of honour.
A section in the media had described the ‘Yatra’ as a “bloody journey,” a simile that Advani, in the post, he was deeply hurt by.
He adds that no incident of communal violence happened along the way of the Yatra and says it was opposition propaganda that resulted in the campaign being perceived of as anti-Muslim.
Trying to set the record straight once and for all, he says: "Kya meri yatra Muslim Mukhalif thi, bilkul nahi."
He further urged Muslims to use their franchise to favour "supreme national interests" and not to be swayed by "motivated" campaigns.
The demolition was followed by widespread communal violence.
Advani says the Hindu society is a tolerant one, he adds, "I would be very sad if Hindus leave the virtue of tolerance but I would be saddest if someone attributes this virtue to be a weakness."
Leaders cutting across political parties, later, said the post is the last ditch effort by Advani to woo Muslim voters for the BJP, which continued to push its campaign ahead on Friday n face of major dissentions.
The demolition of the ‘Babri Masjid’ was a major factor contributing to the meteoric rise of regional parties in the northern heartlands, as both the Congress, which was at the helm of a minority alliance government at Center at the time, and the BJP suffered a colossal loss of face amongst Muslim voters after the demolition.
Muslim parliamentarians, including those from the Congress, had used various platforms to launch a scathing attack against then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, with a little known Muslim leader from Gujarat – Ahmed Patel – perhaps, being the only one to defend Rao.
Patel is the present number two in the Congress hierarchy and serves as political advisor to Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.
(With Inputs from the PTI)
Advani to Start “Sankalp Yatras” From Feb.4
January 23, 2009Visionmp.com News Service
Uncapping plans to rally support for his prime ministerial campaign, Advani has decided to resume his Vijay Sankalp Yatras across the country.
The Yatra will commence from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh on February 4.
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