“They neither care about Ram or Ram Bhakts”: VHP leader hits back at Shivpal for defending police firings on Kar Sevaks in 1990

Rohtak (Haryana) [India], January 19 (ANI): The day after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Shivpal Singh Yadav defended the police firings on Kar Sevaks marching to the Babri Masjid in 1990, Vishwa Hindu Parishad general secretary Surendra Jain on Friday hit back at him saying neither the party nor its leaders care about ‘Ram or Rambhakts’.

Shivpal’s uncle and SP patriarch, Mulayam Singh Yadav, was the chief minister in the erstwhile Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh when saffron volunteers and seers were fired upon by the police in two separate incidents–on October 30 and November 2, 1990.

Earlier, on Thursday, Shivpal justified the police firing on Kar Sevaks, saying the then-CM safeguarded the Constitution by directing the police to open fire at them.

In a personalised video message on Friday, Jain responded to Shivpal’s remark, saying, “The supreme sacrifice of the Ram Bhakts will always be remembered. The barbaric slaughter of the Ram Bhakts on November 2, 1990 will forever be etched in black letters in our history. It would remain an open wound on the country’s conscience. What constitutional propriety or values were followed by firing on unarmed Kar Sevaks from point-blank range, putting their bodies in sacks and dumping them in the Saryu River?”

” Unhein na Ram ki parvaah hai, na Rambhakton ki

(They neither care about Ram or Ram Bhakts),” the top VHP leader added.

Also taking a swipe at the SP’s partners in the INDIA bloc, Jain added, “It is unfortunate that some leaders of the Samajwadi Party, under whose tenure the police firings took place, are trying to justify the criminal act by constitutional values. And, it is, perhaps, not surprising that their partners in the INDI-alliance are tight-lipped about this.”

“It has now been established beyond any reasonable doubt that they (Opposition leaders) wouldn’t even be deterred from committing atrocities on Hindus to keep their vote banks,” the VHP leader added.

With fresh wind in their sails after the launch of the Rath Yatra by BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani on September 25, 1990, the Kar Sevaks massed in Ayodhya in November of the same year.

As the saffron volunteers defied the dictates to stand down and retreat and continued marching towards the site of the Babri mosque on October 30, 1970, the police opened fire at them on the direction of then-CM Mulayam.

A similar faceoff on November 2, 1990, descended into chaos, as the police opened fire at the Kar Sevaks again. As the saffron volunteers ran helter-skelter in the melee, a stampede followed resulting in multiple casualties.

Coming out in defence of the police firing earlier, Shivpal said, “To safeguard our Constitution and the rule of law, as well as in the interest of ensuring peace, the then government gave shoot-at-sight orders. The government was merely discharging its duties as mandated by the Constitution.”

However, his remarks evoked fury from several BJP leaders.

BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli termed his statement as ‘condemnable’ and ‘shocking’, saying, “It is indeed condemnable and shocking to note that for the sake of vote bank politics, some Samajwadi Party leaders are playing down the police firing incidents saying that they took place way back in the 1990s. It is unfortunate that they should pick petty political interests over national sentiment at a time when the entire country is in the grip of celebrations around the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. We are all excited about January 22.”

The country is counting down to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla at the Ayodhya temple on January 22.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the ceremonial installation of Shri Ram Lalla at the temple’s sanctum sanctorum on the day. A long line of celebrities and dignitaries from all walks of life have been invited to the event.

A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla on January 22.

Ayodhya is currently observing ‘Amrit Mahotsava’, which will culminate with the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ and the opening of the Ram Temple on January 22.