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Arjun Singh responsible for fall of Babri mosque: Katiyar

Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament and Bajrang Dal leader Vinay Katiyar on Thursday said former Union minister Arjun Singh's 'design to shoot several birds with one stone' led to the fall of the 'disputed structure' in Ayodhya, and asserted that Ramjanam Bhoomi movement was never used for political mileage.

"Arjun Singh ek tir se kai shikar karna chahte the (Arjun Singh wanted to shoot several birds with one stone). He wanted to malign P V Narasimha Rao so that he could sit on prime minister's chair and dislodge the four BJP-ruled state governments. He succeeded in his policy, which resulted in the fall of the 'disputed structure' and hurting Lord Rama," he told the Liberhan Commission, probing the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya on December six, 1992.

Katiyar said he had even asked Rao to come out with a respectable declaration to avoid any confrontation in Ayodhya as Kar Sevaks were agitated over the sight of central forces, which were camping in the town without the permission of state government.

The Bajrang Dal leader said he had pleaded with Rao to allow symbolic Kar Seva on a land which was undisputed and was not acquired by the state government.

Katiyar said he had submitted the plan with a draft map to the government so that the pledge of Sant Samaj and Kar Sevaks to perform Kar Seva was met and Rao got an opportunity to come out with some respectful declaration.

He said the government had expressed agreement on the plan but 'betrayed' them and went to the court.

Later, it was learnt that there were some differences between his political advisors, he added.

He said among the political advisors, Singh was playing the pivotal role on the issue as sometimes differences had come to light between Naresh Chandra and Kishore Kunal, the then DIG of Bihar, whose advice Rao was following as and when he felt.

Katiyar said he had submitted the same plan to V P Singh when he was the prime minister.

However, he said with Singh also they could not succeed as he was having 'cold war' with the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

To a commission's question that BJP and Bajrang Dal gave calls for Kar Seva whenever there were elections, he said, "It would not be right to connect Kar Seva and Kar Sevaks with elections."

"One should not think like this. Every year in UP there is election at some level or other -- Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, municipal, cooperatives etc," Katiyar added.

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