Uma rakes up Babri issue, roots for Advani

Days after former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh's claimed that he was kept in the dark about the Babri masjid demolition, another temple movement leader Uma Bharti on Monday said 'everyone' was in the dark about the demolition.

"In fact, everyone was in the dark about the demolition except those who did it. We still don't know who did it," she told PTI at Atrauli near Aligarh.

When asked about Kalyan's claim that he in particular was kept in dark, Uma said she was not aware of it.

"I don't know anything about it. Advaniji and (H V) Sheshadriji (of RSS) have also said this (that they were not aware that the mosque will be demolished)," she added.

The Bharatiya Jan Shakti leader claimed that people who demolished the mosque are yet to be identified.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh had on Saturday claimed that he was misled by two BJP leaders and was not told that the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, had been planned well in advance.

It was on the assurance of the two BJP leaders, whom he did not name, that he gave an affidavit in the Supreme Court promising to ensure the security of the 16th century Mughal period monument, Singh said.

He said he was given to understand that a symbolic "kar seva" would be performed for the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya.

She said her support for BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha election should not be considered a step forward in rejoining the party which she had left a few years ago.

Meanwhile, addressing an election rally at Atrauli, the pocket borough of Kalyan Singh, Uma said out of the several prime ministerial candidates in race, BJP leader L K Advani was the only one who was a 'rashtra bhakta and Ram bhakta -- he outshines others like a diamond'.

"I told Advani that my party will only support the BJP in elections but will not merge with his party. Money is required to contest elections. As we have no money to contest, we decided to extend support to BJP as we share the same ideology," she told the gathering consisting mainly of Lodh-Rajpoot voters.

Uma also represents the same community.

While the former BJP firebrand leader attacked Mulayam Singh Yadav during her speech, she made no mention of Kalyan Singh.

She also attacked Bollywood actor and Samajwadi Party leader Sanjay Dutt.

"I was shocked when Sanjay Dutt claimed that he was tortured by police as his mother was a Muslim. He can say anything. But a person like Mulayam Singh should have ensured that no such thing is said which will further the communal divide in the country," she said.