Of Babri Revenge and Bomb Theory
Sid Harth
Sudershan appears before Liberhan Commission
A Correspondent in New Delhi
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief K S Sudershan appeared before the
Justice M S Liberhan Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday morning.
The commission is inquiring into the conspiracy behind the demolition
of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
On Tuesday, the commission had examined Union Sports Minister Uma
Bharti <http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/dec/19uma2.htm>, one of the
three ministers accused of masterminding the demolition and
chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The commission summoned <http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/dec/12ayo.htm>
Sudershan after the RSS chief made a remarkable 'disclosure
<http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/dec/09rss.htm>' last week that the
Congress was behind the demolition and that it was not the kar sevaks
who had assembled at the disputed site but an explosion from within
that brought the mosque down.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/dec/19ayo.htm
Application before Liberhan Commission
for summoning Vajpayee
An application has been filed before the Liberhan Commission for
summoning Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a witness in the wake
of his recent reported statement
<http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/dec/06bjp1.htm> that a temple should
be built at the disputed site in Ayodhya, which he has denied
<http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/dec/19rs.htm>.
The application has been filed by one Mohammad Aslam, who has filed
many petitions relating to the dispute in the Uttar Pradesh high court
and the Supreme Court, on the ground that there was a SC ruling for
maintaining status quo at the disputed site and the prime minister
should explain how he made such a statement.
Before conclusion of Tuesday's proceedings, Aslam's lawyer M M Kashyap
said his application should be taken up for hearing, but Justice M S
Liberhan said it would be decided later.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/dec/18inter.htm
The Rediff Interview/ S B Chavan
'I told Raosahib not to trust Vajpayee's Word'
Then home minister S B Chavan denies RSS Sarsanghchalak K S Sudershan's
claim that explosives were used in the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
In an exclusive interview to Special Correspondent Onkar Singh, Chavan
wonders why Sudershan kept quiet for so long if he knew about the
explosives. The former Union minister also felt the P V Narasimha Rao
government's decision not to dismiss the Kalyan Singh government in
Uttar Pradesh before the demolition was a mistake.
RSS chief K S Sudershan has claimed that explosives were used in the
demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992.
I have appeared before the Liberhans Commission and given my statement.
I have dwelt in detail on the circumstances that led to the demolition
of the Babri Masjid by kar sevaks of the BJP and Shiv Sena. There was
jubilation in the RSS, BJP and Shiv Sena camps.
I have seen the statement given by Sudershan in the newspapers. I do
not really understand why he did this at this juncture. The RSS members
are very clever people. Sudershan wants to use this statement as some
sort of diversionary tactic. To create an impression that the BJP and
its allies were not responsible for this. That is why he is saying that
the structure was demolished because of the explosion.
If he knew about this, why did he keep quiet for the last eight years?
Why didn't he tell the Government of India or the intelligence
agencies? The Liberhans Commission has issued him a notice and he
should appear before the Commission and tell us about it.
You were home minister at that point of time. Did the intelligence
agencies then tell you anything about it?
I do not recall if the intelligence agencies at any stage brought this
to my notice that some explosives were used to demolish the Babri
Masjid. They never ever mentioned anything like this to me.
Were you taken aback by Sudershan's statement?
Naturally. I was taken by surprise. First, I thought he might have a
basis for that kind of claim. But later it dawned on me that he was
floating this new theory to divert attention from the main issue.
Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande has also issued a similar statement.
I have seen it in one of the national dailies. She was friendly with
all of us, I wonder why she didn't tell us about it.
In the same article, she said the truth would be known after her death.
She does not have to die to reveal the truth. If the matter is so
important, then why is she making people wait? She should tell the
truth without any further delay. She must tell the Liberhans Commission
what she knows. (Ms Deshpande has been summoned by the Liberhans
Commission on January 30, 2001 to reveal what she knows about the
explosion theory).
But the people hold both the BJP and the Congress responsible for the
demolition. Particularly, then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao's
inaction.
I would not like to say anything about Raosahib as I served him as home
minister. He is also entitled to hold a different view. The present
prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had told Raosahib time and again
that the kar sevaks would not touch the disputed structure. Rao
believed him. The UP government led by Kalyan Singh also told the
Supreme Court that the state government would not allow the structure
to be demolished.
When the structure fell, we realised that instead of Vajpayee
prevailing upon the kar sevaks, it was the kar sevaks who prevailed
upon him.
Did you warn Rao about the consequences? Did you specifically tell him
to dismiss the UP government before it was too late?
Of course, I told Raosahib time and again that he should not trust the
word of honour given to him by Vajpayee, leader of the BJP. He should
dismiss the UP government before the kar sevaks brought it down.
Because if the structure was brought down, then people would question
our secular credentials.
Yes, I did tell Rao to dismiss the Kalyan Singh government before it
was too late. The UP government was dismissed on the evening of
December 6, after the Babri Masjid had been demolished. But then it was
pointless.
Is it true you had sent large numbers of paramilitary forces to
Faizabad before December 6?
We had sent more then 193 companies of paramilitary forces for
deployment around the Babri Masjid to prevent the kar sevaks from
reaching the structure. But Kalyan Singh strongly objected to the
Centre's decision. He refused to deploy the companies though they were
very much there. He kept on saying that the kar sevaks would not touch
the Babri Masjid.
We kept getting information that the kar sevaks were determined to
bring down the Masjid. L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti
were giving fiery speeches and egging the kar sevaks on to go ahead.
Now they are saying that explosives brought the Babri Masjid down. I
think they are kicking up the issue with the view of consolidating
Hindu votes in the forthcoming UP assembly election.
But Congress leader Arjun Singh has also told a television network that
he had heard about the explosion theory.
If that is true, then why did he not tell the Union Cabinet? After all,
the Cabinet had collective responsibility. Why did he keep quiet for
such a long time? He did not raise the issue when he quit the party.
Why do you think Vajpayee made a statement on the Ayodhya temple issue
out of the blue?
They have kicked up this issue with a view to consolidating the Hindu
votes in the UP assembly election.
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