New Delhi, November 18
The Uttar Pradesh Government today filed a fresh affidavit in the Supreme Court amending its stand taken in a petition challenging the filing of a supplementary chargesheet by CBI dropping conspiracy charges against top BJP leaders in the Ayodhya demolition case.
In its new affidavit, the UP Government said “the act of those persons who have demolished Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 was most barbaric, shameful, condemnable, unpardonable and was an act against the national interests and integrity of the nation.”
The state government said it was for the court to decide whether CBI was right in filing a supplementary chargesheet in the Ayodhya case, dropping conspiracy charges against the top BJP leaders.
Meanwhile, UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today played down the Congress’ threat to withdraw support from the Samajwadi Party-led coalition government in the state and turned down the demand for the formation of coordination committee and common minimum programme (CMP).
“There is no need to form a coordination committee as the problems of the people are already being addressed effectively,” he told reporters here. As for the CMP, its preparation was aimed to ensure the welfare of people which was already being done, he said.
The main coalition partners, including the Congress and the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal, had been demanding a coordination committee and CMP for better coordination among the coalition partners and to ensure development of the state.
Mr Yadav, when asked about the threat of the Congress to withdraw support alleging his change of stand on Ayodhya, said he knew nothing about it. When he was told that Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari had given a statement in this regard, a smiling Mr Yadav commented “Pramod Tiwari ko ham bahut acchi tarah jante hain (I know Pramod Tiwari very well).”
Asserting that his government and party had not changed its stand on Ayodhya, Mr Yadav came down heavily on CPM and its leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet for casting doubts on Samajwadi Party’s credentials on the issue.
In what would be the first public statement against CPM leader, with whom he had a long political association Mr Yadav said, “It was most unfortunate that Mr Surjeet had questioned my secular credentials despite fully knowing that Samajwadi Party is the only political party which has fought communal forces tooth and nail.”
“Will Mr Surjeet tell me when and where the CPM had countered communal forces like the BJP”, he asked while addressing a press conference at Pragati Maidan on the occasion of UP Day at the India International Trade Fair.
