Samajwadi Party's Swami Prasad Maurya defends UP govt's order to open fire at 'karsevaks' in 1990

The leader of the Samajwadi Party, Swami Prasad Maurya, defended on Wednesday the 1990 order issued by the Mulayam Singh Yadav government to the police to shoot “karsevaks” in Ayodhya, claiming that it was necessary to uphold the Constitution. Maurya was in Kasganj for a Buddhist conference, but he has been provoking controversy with his statements lately. The leader of the SP told reporters in this place, “The then government carried out its duty to protect the Constitution by firing on karsevaks (volunteers) in Ayodhya.” Maurya was asked about a reported statement of Union minister SP Singh Baghel that people behind the police firing on ‘Ram Bhakts’ in Ayodhya should be welcomed if they want to go there. “At that time, anarchic elements in large numbers had indulged in vandalism and the then government had got bullets fired for saving the Constitution, peace and order. That was the duty of the government. Baghel was also in the Samajwadi Party at that time,” Maurya said. Maurya’s statement justifying the 1990 firing has come at a time when preparations are in full swing for the consecration ceremony of the new Ram temple in Ayodhya. To a question on the opposition accusing the Narendra Modi government of trying to politicise the consecration ceremony, the SP leader said, “We honour all religions but the BJP is politicising it to take mileage whereas the country knows that the temple is being constructed on the orders of the Supreme Court.” “All the opposition parties had welcomed the Supreme Court’s order. This means that no one has objection to the construction of Ram temple, but the BJP is wrongly trying to take credit of it. Had it (BJP) been so capable, why was the temple not built when Atal Bihari Vajapaye held the reins of the country thrice,” he said. Asked if he would go to Ayodhya to participate in the consecration ceremony on January 22, the SP legislator said, “I will not go to any programme of the BJP…this is the programme organised by the BJP and not that of Ram Lalla temple.” To another question, Maurya alleged that the Central government is working to sell the country and accused it of winning elections through EVMs. He also accused the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state of creating a rift between Hindus and Muslims. (with inputs from PTI)