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Journalism of Courage
Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav is now embracing kar sewaks accused in demolition of the Babri structure. While three of the 26 ‘‘ordinary” kar sewaks accused in the case have already joined the Samajwadi Party, at least six others are likely to follow shortly.
‘‘We were left with no option. The VHP neglected us after we served the Sangh Parivar’s purpose of demolishing the Babri mosque. All of us had been feeling frustrated for a long time, and had been finding ways to survive in politics. The CM has extended us a helping hand. There are six others who will join the Samajwadi Party soon,” Santosh Dubey, an accused in the demolition, told The Indian Express.
Santosh had owned the responsibility of razing the structure, and had claimed he was in possession of the cenotaph of Meer Baqi, a trusted lieutenant of Babar. ‘‘I have severed ties with the Sangh Parivar now,” said Santosh. He joined the Samajwadi Party two days back in presence of Mulayam Singh Yadav during an election meeting in Akbarpur. Another Babri demolition accused, Pawan Pandey, has also joined the SP bandwagon while Sakshi Maharaj, also an accused, is already with the ruling party in the state.
Yadav’s decision to take in kar sewaks has baffled the minority community members. ‘‘It is surprising that Mulayam — who claimed that Ayodhya mein parinda bhi par nahin mar sakta during 1989 kar sewa — has been inducting kar sewaks into his party. His decision will not go well with minority community members,” said Zafaryab Zilani, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
‘‘Mulayam is trying to win hearts of Brahmins by opening his party for the likes of Santosh Dubey and Pawan Pandey. He is trying to work out a Brahmin-Yadav formula to ensure victory to his nominee in the bypolls (in Akbarpur on December 20) but he won’t get success as Akbarpur is a BSP stronghold,” said BSP legislature party leader Swami Prasad Maurya.
