Clarify position on Ayodhya or quit, Mulayam tells Buta

Indications are that the RLM leadership is seriously considering the question of Buta Singh’s continuance because of the feeling that it may have adverse impact on a key element of its support base, the Muslims.

The ultimatum comes in the wake of the severe embarrassment that the RLM has had to face over the fact that Buta Singh was the Home Minister when shilanyas was allowed to be conducted at Ayodhya. RLM leaders haveoften had to do a lot of explaining to defend Singh’s “secular credentials.”

Buta Singh has also come under attack from certain quarters for throwing his lot with the RLM only after he was forced to resign from the Vajpayee ministry.

According to Amar Singh, party workers and supporters were agitated over Buta Singh not clarifying his role. “With a heavy heart we have have asked Buta Singh not to attend the Mumbai rally,” he said.

He said that party workers were pressurising the SP leadership to seek an explanation from Buta Singh. The issue had taken a serious turn at the August 9 rally in Lucknow when a large number of partymen asked questions on the episode directly in Buta Singh’s presence.

Buta Singh had explained that he had no hand in the Ayodhya developments. It was N.D. Tiwari who was UP chief minister then. Amar Singh, however, added that partymen were not satisfied with such a fleeting statement which added to the confusion.