Even as he tried to hardsell the Congress party at a meeting with Muslim intellectuals in Lucknow saying the controversy over Babri Masjid is endless and that need of the hour is to weaken forces out to divide the country, Union Minister Kapil Sibal faced a sulking Muslim leadership over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about the masjid demolition. He explained there was no political party which thought rationally on issues like the Babri Masjid and stressed on the need to weaken forces making political capital out of it. Sibal said even after a court verdict, the differences over Babri will continue. He said in the context of the Assembly elections in UP, he “could only appeal to people to choose the lesser evil.” Earlier in the day, the Union minister, who was on a two-day visit to Lucknow, met the incensed leaders of the Muslim community, who called Rahul’s statement on Babri demolition well planned to flare up sentiments ahead of the elections. The rector of the Nadwa College, Maulana Rabey Hassan Nadwi, politely refused to meet Sibal on Monday morning. “Various leaders, including that of the Congress party are speaking communal language at the time of election. Meeting the politicians at this hour sends a confusing signal among the members of the community. So it was better to stay away from them”, Nadwi said, giving his reason for not meeting Sibal. On the other hand, those Muslim leaders whom Sibal met have minced no words in questioning the intention of Rahul’s statement. Khalid Rashid Firangimahali, with whom Sibal spent over one-and-a-half hours, told The Indian Express that he found “dubious intentions in Rahul’s statement.” “I refuse to agree with the plea of Sibal that it would be an emotional statement. Rahul Gandhi is an important leader of the Congress and his statement during his road show in western UP that Babri Masjid could have been saved if any member of his family were in the centre of politics is aimed at reminding the wounds to the Muslims”, he said. Noted Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad said, “The Congress party is responsible for politicising the Babri issue. Now at the time of election, it is trying to create a fear in the mind of the community that even worse can happen to it if his party was not voted to power. There is nothing new in this tactics of the party.” Asked what transpired during his meetings with the Muslim leaders and why his programme to see Nadwi failed, Sibbal said, “I was supposed to meet Nadwi today morning but somehow it couldn’t be managed. It was only out of courtesy that I wanted to be there. But I didn’t talk politics with those leaders whom I have met so far.”
