Nervous Mulayam rolls back: No Kalyan pact,Cong tie-up will happen

With the Congress and RJD disapproving of his pact with former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh and Muslims beginning to question the tie-up with the man during whose rule the Babri Masjid was demolished,Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today did a U-turn,saying “there is no alliance with Kalyan Singh,only friendship” and that seat-sharing talks with the Congress were on and “an alliance will materialise” for the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow,Mulayam Singh said: “The Muslims trust me and there is no confusion over Kalyan Singh. The misunderstanding created by statements of certain leaders will soon be cleared. I cannot abuse Kalyan Singh for the demolition of the Babri Masjid but I never gave him a clean chit in the demolition case. As the BJP chief minister of UP on December 6,1992,he was morally responsible for the demolition of the mosque.”

“Kalyan Singh should have taken steps to prevent the demolition of the mosque but that did not mean he was totally responsible for the demolition. The mosque was demolished by the RSS and Shiv Sena,” he said.

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He accused the the media of “misleading” Muslims with their coverage. “There is no alliance with Kalyan Singh,it’s only friendship where there are no conditions… Kalyan Singh has pledged to bring about the downfall of BJP and I have no qualms in helping him,” he said.

On reports of differences in seat-sharing talks with the Congress,he said: “Talks are on with the Congress and it has entered the final stages. The alliance will take place… it will materialise.”