On the eve of the discussion in Parliament on the report of the Liberhan Ayodhya Commission of Inquiry, the Congress continued to shuffle for a stand on the role of former Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, in the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
The latest to add to the mixed voices emanating from the Congress was general-secretary Digvijay Singh who, on Saturday, admitted that, “we feel [Mr.] Narasimha Rao should not have relied on affidavits filed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the government of Uttar Pradesh in the Supreme Court.”
Prodded further, he added the Narasimha Rao government should have intervened in time to prevent the demolition.
Earlier this week, faced with similar questions, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi had said that if the Supreme Court could have been mislead by the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, then Mr. Rao was also entitled to be mislead.
Referring to the Opposition criticism of the Liberhan Commission giving a clean chit to the Narasimha Rao government, Mr. Singhvi had said the principal accused was the Bharatiya Janata Party and its various affiliates.
Further, he had gone on to apologise to the nation on behalf of the Sangh Parivar. “They refuse to apologise and we do on their behalf. Those who brought down the mosque did not think of the consequences and such parties do not have a right to exist unless they eschew the path they are on.”
