Rajiv Gandhi had secret pact with RSS, claims Purohit

Nagpur, Apr 25 (UNI) Former prime minister late Rajiv Gandhi had allowed the 'shilanyas' to be held at the disputed site in Ayodhya in 1989 to signal the start of the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple there in return for support from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections due that year as per a secret pact, former Congress MP Banwarilal Purohit claimed today.

Speaking to newspersons here, Mr Purohit described as ''outlandish'' the statement by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi that the disputed structure in Ayodhya would not have been demolished in 1992 if someone from the Gandhi family had been ruling at the Centre.

Mr Purohit, the Congress member of the Lok Sabha from Nagpur between 1984-1989 and 1989-1991, said he had ''arranged'' for a ''secret meeting'' between the then RSS chief Balasaheb Deora and former Union Minister Bhanu Prakash Singh here in 1989 to work out the details of the deal.

He alleged he had arranged the meeting between Mr Deora and Mr Singh at the behest of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

''I arranged the meeting through Mr Anant Bhide (since expired), an RSS functionary, whom I knew very well,'' he said, adding the meeting took place at the residence of senior RSS activist Babasaheb Talatule (since expired) here.

As per the secret agreement, late Rajiv Gandhi was to allow the 'shilanyas' in Ayodhya and in return, the RSS was to extend support to the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections that were due that year, Mr Purohit claimed.

The agreement was approved at a meeting between then Union Home Minister Buta Singh with senior RSS functionary Rajendra Singh alias Rajju Bhaiyya in New Delhi, he said.

Mr Bhaiyya had met the Home Minister since Mr Deora himself was indisposed and could not travel, he said.

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