PM refutes Lalu's charge on Babri mosque demolition

Guwahati, Apr 19 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Sunday refuted Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's
charge that Congress was also to be blamed for the demolition
of the Babri mosque, saying the party's only fault was to
believe the assurance given by then Uttar Pradesh chief
minister Kalyan Singh to the Supreme Court on protecting the
structure.

"Kalyan Singh (then UP Chief Minister) gave a solemn
assurance to the Supreme Court (about protecting the mosque).
The Congress party certainly can be blamed because it believed
that (Kalyan) Singh will honour his assurance given to the
Supreme Court. But he did not honour it.

"That's the only fault of the Congress in the
demolition of the Babri mosque," Singh told reporters here.

Replying to questions, Singh maintained that
communalism is a "great danger" to the unity of the country
and the Congress party had espoused secular values.

On the issues of naxalism and terrorism, Singh said
both constitute a "great threat" to the unity and integrity of
India. The Prime Minister also vowed to make "more determined
efforts" to contain these problems in future.

Singh expressed confidence that the Congress and its
allies will be able to form "a credible government" at the
Centre after the polls.

Singh, a Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Indian
Parliament) MP from Assam, stressed on the "need to renew
efforts to control insurgency" in North East and Assam in
particular. PTI RRD
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