National
Sikhs' massacre more heinous than Masjid demolition: Advani
By J. Venkatesan
NEW DELHI, JAN. 28. The Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, today said that there was no conspiracy to demolish the disputed structure in Ayodhya. At the same time, he said the massacre of nearly 3,000 innocent Sikhs in Delhi in November 1984 after Indira Gandhi was assassinated was ``more heinous'' than the Masjid demolition.
Deposing before the Liberhan Commission for the ninth day, Mr. Advani maintained that ``neither the State Government nor the organisers of the Ayodhya movement nor my party had intended the demolition nor can it be accused of having conspired to pull down the structure, something which could have been done without congregating the mass, if ever there was such an intention''.
He said ``the illegal part of whole movement was the demolition, which was not even remotely contemplated by anyone connected with it and the entire movement was maligned by being charged with the conspiracy to demolish''.
Mr. Advani ridiculed the statements of some political leaders that the Masjid demolition was a threat to India's concept of secularism and said if ever there was such a threat it was during the November 1984 Sikh riots.
``The police and the executives who failed in their duty when vandalism was going on in Ayodhya are less guilty than those who saw the massacre of Sikhs without raising a finger,'' he said.
Mr. Advani regretted that while some policemen were punished for the riots, the political leadership went unpunished. On the other hand, he and others had been charged with conspiracy for the demolition of the disputed structure when there was no such conspiracy, he added.
If the situation in Ayodhya had got out of control, it was not due to lack of para-military forces, but because of the expectations of the organisers that a judgment by court would come on time and it could not come as the Central and State Governments failed to approach the court for an early order, he said.
He said the leaders of the temple movement could be blamed for not judging the mood and impatience of the people involved in it or elements within it who were bent upon demolishing the structure, causing great damage to the Ayodhya cause for which he and his party laboured.
``We cannot be blamed for aiming for demolition or for wilfully encouraging the people to do so'' he said adding ``the exercise contemplated has now been short-circuited in totally unforeseen manner''.
While denying that everything happened in a planned way, Mr. Advani said ``it is, in a way, good thing that the installation of Ram Lalla idol took place when the President's rule was actually imposed and adds to the legitimacy of the present make-shift temple''.
He will continue his deposition tomorrow.
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