Babri demolition: Mulayam says sorry to Muslims

Lucknow, Jul 15: Regretting his alliance with Kalyan Singh as he was one of those "responsible" for the Babri Masjid demolition, Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday, Jul 15 apologised to the Muslim community of the country.

"In the last Lok Sabha polls, I had to take support of some 'galat tatva' (wrong elements) to keep communal forces at bay from forming government at the Centre. This confused the secular forces especially my Muslim brothers and their feelings were hurt.I accept my mistake and seek pardon of the Muslim community for my act", he said.

"I have already made public statement that I will never take support of those responsible for the Babri mosque demolition in the future. I want to assure my Muslim brothers that whatever I have done will not be repeated and I will continue to raise voice in favour of the Muslim community," he added in a statement.

This move by Mulayam Singh is being seen as an attempt to win back the votes of the Muslim community, which had ditched him in the previous polls.

He went on to say that as a Chief Minister in 1990 he did everything he could to save the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya and claimed that he always undertook initiatives to defeat communal forces.

Even though Mulayam Singh, who is also held responsible for the Babri Masjid demolition as it took place under his leadership, did not directly mention Kalyan Singh, the statement had an obvious reference to the leader, who quit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2009.

OneIndia News