In an obvious bid to win back his Muslim supporters, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday publicly tendered an apology for his political liaisons with former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh.Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when the Babri Masjid was demolished by angry karsevaks on December 6, 1992.Without referring to Kalyan directly, Mulayam issued a personally signed press statement saying, "I must confess that it was a blunder."
The 61-year-old saffron clad BJP leader is the 19th accused to depose before the court in the over 27-year-old case. 13 other alleged accused, including former deputy prime minister LK Advani and senior BJP leaders MM Joshi and Kalyan Singh are yet to be examined at this stage.
With just 10 days left for the court verdict on Ayodhya title suits, political leader Kalyan Singh said he would visit the disputed site on September 16 to have "darshans" of Lord Ram and discuss with saints and VHP leaders the issue of building a temple there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party said the re-induction of former party leaders Uma Bharti and Govindacharya into its fold was under consideration of the central leadership. "The matter is under consideration. But, a final decision in this regard will be taken by the BJP parliamentary board," party spokesman Ramnath Kovind told reporters in Lucknow.
Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Thursday accused the party leadership of using him as a 'dust bin' and shifting the blame on him for decisions that later backfired.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh has demanded that the Centre give the 67-acre land acquired by it for construction of Ram Temple there.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has threatened to act against 51 members including Union Minister R P N Singh and leaders like Lalu Prasad, Kalyan Singh and Babulal Marandi if they failed to disclose their assets soon.
"The government should table the report at the earliest along with ATR. The Commission has submitted the report after a delay (about 17 years) and the government should not delay it any further," Singh told media persons outside Parliament.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh on Tuesday admitted to have instructed the district magistrate not to shoot, as it could have led to multiple casualties of Karsewaks.
Attacking Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for the first time after being expelled from the party, Amar Singh virtually dubbed him as a "green snake in the grass" for Muslims, on Thursday. "I don't support Kalyan Singh ideologically, but personally feel he is better than Mulayam Singh Yadav. At least people like Kalyan and Bal Thackeray openly attack Muslims."
She said she will go to Ayodhya on Wednesday and visit the makeshift temple to seek Ram Lalla's blessings.
Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav's insistence on continuing his new found friendship with rebel Bhartiya Janata Party leader and its one time Hindutva mascot Kalyan Singh is apparently going to cost Mulayam his Muslim support.
As if the flak over Samajawadi Party's sudden bonhomie with hardcore Hindutva mascot and rebel Bhartiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh was not enough, SP strongman Amar Singh now makes no bones about giving a big hug even to BJP bigwig Lal Kishan Advani.
Snubbed by Mulayam Singh Yadav, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh called the Samajwadi Party chief a "traitor" and indicated he was willing to return to the Bharatiya Janata Party, while his son Rajbir Singh resigned from the SP.
Rajbir Singh, the son of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, joined the Samajwadi Party on Wednesday. His decision comes just a day after his father quit the Bharatya Janata Party, giving a jolt to the saffron party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Leader of the Opposition Lal Kishanchand Advani on Wednesday appeared upset over the increasing questions being asked about his eligibility as the prime ministerial candidate. First, former vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat questioned the policy of naming a candidate before the elections and usurping the MPs' right to elect a leader.
The six-time independent legislator said though he would be labelled anti-Dalit, he is only talking about equality.
While directing the accused to present themselves in person, the judge had said no application for adjournment or exemption from personal appearance shall be entertained.
Unmindful of the deep resentment within his own ranks and file against his new found bonhomie with once sowrn political adversary and rebel Bhartiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh , Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday termed his relationship with Kalyan as a "bond of friendship."
The Samajwadi Party's move to join hands with Kalyan Singh, who was the Uttar Pradesh chief minister when the Babri mosque was demolished 17 years ago, may dent the party's Muslim vote bank in the coming Lok Sabha elections with some of the minority community leaders openly raising a banner of revolt.
It will be starting from the scratch for several leaders, big and small, with the redrawing of Parliamentary constituencies as their pocket boroughs have disappeared following the delimitation exercise.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of raking up the Ayodhya issue in a bid to gain political mileage, the Samajwadi Party on Wednesday claimed that it had never given a clean chit to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh on the Babri Masjid demolition issue and blamed the Congress for being 'equally responsible' for it."The SP never gave a clean chit to Kalyan on the Babri Mosque demolition. But the fact is that the Congress is equally responsible," said Amar.
Under fire from different quarters over the tie-up with Kalyan Singh, the Samajwadi Party today accused certain Congress leaders of "fanning" the issue, but made it clear that it would not break the alliance with the grand old party.
After talking about "moral" responsibility on Wednesday, former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh on Thursday said he owned 'total' responsibility for the demolition of the Babri Masjid when he was the chief minister in 1992 in remarks seen as helping his new ally Samajwadi Party from attacks from Muslims on the issue.
Kalyan Singh's apology over the Babri masjid demolition, thus, is expected to assuage the Samajwadi Party's rank and file who have been upset over Yadav joining hands with him. Kalyan Singh, who subsequently left the BJP to plow a lonely furrow only to rejoin the party and again left it recently over being sidelined, has since been edging closer to the Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh.
In a damage control move, while party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday roped in a large number of Maulanas to give himself a clean chit, his second-in-command Amar Singh flew down to the well-known Islamic seminary, DarulUloom Deoband in Saharanpur district to woo the clerics there.
The saddest part of the SNC-Lavalin saga is that, with minor modifications, you could probably come up with a similar scandal in several other states.
"First apologize publicly, throw out Kalyan Singh and his son from the Samajwadi Party and then come and meet us" said the Ullemas of Deoband, refusing to meet the Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh who had gone there on Monday to get feedback on the party's tie up with the former BJP chief minister.
The waiver would cost Rs 18,000 crore to the state government.
A special judge holding trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case, involving Bharatiya Janata Party veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi and others, on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking six more months to conclude the trial in the case.
Kalyan Singh will be the chief ministerial candidate for the crucial seven-phased Assembly polls beginning April 7.
The thrust of the conclave would be to expose the UPA's failures on price rise and inflation which has hit the the common man adversely.
Justice S A Bobde will not be available on January 29.
Bharatiya Janshakti chief Uma Bharti on Friday announced withdrawal of her party candidates from Uttar Pradesh elections following Vishwa Hindu Parishad's call to make Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh chief minister.
"Whoever denies Lord Ram is actually denying the nation. We will pray to Lord Ram that Karunanidhi be blessed with better wisdom and understanding."
The Committee also expressed "strongest concern" over the decision of the Governemnt regarding cap on the total number of BPL families.
Advani denied his involvement in the alleged conspiracy along with 'kar sevaks' to demolish the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. He pleaded he was completely innocent and was unnecessarily dragged in the case owing to political reasons.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, BJP leader and former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh outlines the party's poll strategy.
There are many instances in the past where the top court sat through midnight to hear the special cases.
The Commission, whose extended term is expiring on June 31, closed the proceedings with conclusion of the deposition of its key witness Kalyan Singh during whose tenure as chief minister the medieval monument was razed on December 6, 1992.
