Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh, reacting to the Allahabad High Court verdict in the Babri Masjid title suits, told a press conference here on Friday that he was “disappointed” that “faith and belief” and not “law and evidence” were given primacy in the judgment.
This was not a good sign for the country, for the Constitution and for the judiciary itself, he said in a written statement distributed to the media.
“Several crises can be created.”
Recalling his days as the Chief Minister when the Ram temple agitation gained ground, Mr. Singh said he had stated in 1990 that the “country is run by the Constitution and the law of the land, and not by faith.” This statement was made when preparations were being made for an assault on Ayodhya, he said.
Mr. Singh recalled what he said at a National Integration Council meeting in Chennai that his “position was akin to that of Arjuna of the Mahabharata, as there is a possibility that he might have to order the security forces to open fire on his own people in a bid to defend the Constitution and uphold the law.” He fulfilled his responsibility, Mr. Singh added.
