Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday said he felt sad for ordering firing on ‘karsewaks’ in Ayodhya in 1990 but it was necessary for the unity of the country.
Mulayam, who was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh at that time, had ordered firing on karsewaks in which 16 people were killed.
Justifying his decision, Mulayam said instead of 16 had even 30 people been killed, still the decision was right.
“I feel sad for firing on Karsewaks but it was necessary to save the religious place (Babri Mosque) and the country’s unity,” Mulayam said while addressing a gathering in Lucknow on the occasion of a release of a biography ‘Badhtey gaye sahasik kadam’ on him.
This is exactly what he had said in January 25 this year on the occasion of birth anniversary of socialist leader Karpoori Thakur.
The firing on karsewaks had taken place on October 30, 1990 when the BJP-backed VHP’s Ram temple movement was at its peak.
“I drew a lot of flak for ordering the firing, but had it not been done, Muslims would have thought that their religious places cannot be protected in this country. In those days, in Parliament, I was even called ‘murderer of humanity’. I was criticised, but we could save the masjid,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“I drew a lot of flak for ordering the firing, but had it not been done, Muslims would have thought that their religious places cannot be protected in this country. In those days, in Parliament, I was even called ‘murderer of humanity’. I was criticised, but we could save the masjid,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}He called upon the youth to ponder over why Uttar Pradesh was still lagging behind other states in development. “What do we need for development? Of course, roads, water, power. We have all this in plenty in the state, still the state was a laggard. All must pledge that they would work for state’s development,” he said.
He said socialism’s main agenda was ending poverty, discrimination, regionalism, casteism and communalism.