Narasimha Rao performed puja during demolition of Babri Masjid: Book

July 5, 2012

Narasimha

New Delhi, July 5: Yet another book has levelled an allegation that P V Narasimha Rao had connived at the demolition of Babri Masjid, claiming that the late Prime Minister had sat in a puja when the kar sevaks began pulling it down and rose only when it was over.

The charge relating to the demolition on Dec 6, 1992 has been made by eminent journalist Kuldip Nayar in his soon-to-be released autobiography "Beyond the Lines" being brought out by Roli Books.

"My information was that Rao had connived at the demolition. He sat at puja when the kar sevaks began pulling down the mosque and rose only when the last stone had been removed"

"Madhu Limaye (late socialist leader) later told me that during the puja, Rao's aide whispered in his ears that the masjid had been demolished. Within seconds, the puja was over", he said in a chapter on "Narasimha Rao's Government" in the book.

P V Ranga Rao, son of the late Prime Minister, however strongly dismissed the claim as "unbelievable and untenable".

"It is unbelievable and untenable...There is no way father would have done so. He was in anguish when the Babri structure was demolished, for he loved Muslims for years and was their ardent supporter. He told us many times that it should not have happened", Rao said reacting to the reported claim of the late socialist leader Madhu Limaye.

Regretting that an eminent journalist like Nayar could write such things, Ranga Rao said "vested interests" were trying to spew venom at his father, who is no more to defend himself.

Nayar said that when there were riots in the wake of the demolition, Rao invited some senior journalists to his house.

"He was at pains to explain to us how his government had made every arrangement to stop the demolition. Rao said he was betrayed by the UP chief minister Kalyan Singh".

When asked how a small temple could have been erected overnight at the site when the Centre was at the helm of affairs having dismissed the Kalyan Singh government, Rao said he had attempted to send a contingent of CRPF by plane to Lucknow but they were unable to land because of bad weather.

Besides, Nayar said Rao did not explain the "inaction" of Central forces in Ayodhya, but assured him that the temple would not be there "for long".

"Rao's government will always be held responsible for the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The curious thing was that he was conscious of such an eventuality but did virtually nothing to avert it", Nayar said.

Once earlier Rao invited senior journalists to acquaint them with the efforts his government was making to reach a settlement. When Nayar asked him which stage they had reached, Rao replied "somewhere," but "there was no serious edge to his voice".

Nayar recalled that soon after, he witnessed the gathering of the storm with thousands of kar sevaks descending upon Ayodhya and the RSS and the BJP leaders converging on the city.

Kalyan Singh, who was heading the BJP government in U P, made statements which indicated that he had no intention of protecting the Masjid, although the Supreme Court had ordered maintenance of status quo and his government had given an undertaking that it would do so.

The climax came when the Masjid was demolished to the last stone on that fateful day by thousands of kar sevaks egged on by the BJP and RSS leadership. "It was daylight murder of secularism," Nayar writes.

He also says that the Congress cauldron was boiling not because of the Masjid demolition, but because of internal conflicts. Sonia Gandhi never liked Narasimha Rao, particularly when he assumed leadership of both the Congress party and its government, Nayar says.

She did not want to join issue with him, preferring to remain aloof from party matters. Even so, the infighting with the Congress and its shrinking space in the country bothered her.

Many Congress leaders from the Centre and the states met her individually to appeal to her to lead the party. To them, she seemed the only person who represented the consensus in the party.

Her gravest concern was that communal forces representing the BJP were claiming the political space. "The only occasion I spoke to her, she came across as a committed secularist, who firmly believed that pluralism was the bedrock of Indian society".

Nayar says he could gauge that she was coming around to the view that she would have to join politics if she wanted to fight against communalism and that the only instrument she had for this was the Congress.


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News Network
February 20,2025

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New Delhi: Ten years ago, the BJP's Vijender Gupta was forcibly removed from the Delhi Assembly amid controversy over derogatory remarks made by a party colleague, OP Sharma, against then-AAP MLA Alka Lamba. Dramatic scenes from the Assembly showed Mr. Gupta, dressed in pristine white kurta-pyjama, being lifted, shouting and twisting, by several marshals. The BJP leader even clung to furniture, resisting all the way out.

Today, Mr. Gupta returns as the Speaker of the same Assembly, after the BJP achieved a remarkable victory in the 2025 Delhi election. He retained the Rohini seat he has held since 2015.

"I am thankful to the party for giving me this responsibility... to be Speaker of the Delhi Assembly. I will fulfill my responsibility. I hope we will have healthy discussions in the House," he told news agency PTI.

Mr. Gupta was previously the Leader of Opposition. Sources earlier mentioned he was even considered for the Chief Minister's post, a role that ultimately went to Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh. Rekha Gupta becomes the fourth BJP Chief Minister of Delhi and the second woman from the party to hold that position.

What Happened In 2015?

On November 30, 2015, chaos ensued in the Delhi Assembly as AAP and BJP MLAs clashed over the alleged derogatory remarks. Ram Niwas Goel, then the Speaker, ordered Vijender Gupta to leave the House till 4 pm. When he refused, marshals were called in. Mr. Gupta resisted and tried to hold onto the bench, but the staff ultimately evicted him.

Before his eviction, Mr. Gupta accused the Speaker of being biased towards the AAP, then in power, claiming that three BJP legislators had been abused and assaulted by ruling party MLAs. "But no action has been taken against them," he alleged.

The AAP has yet to comment on Vijender Gupta's nomination.

Rekha Gupta's Big Day

Ms. Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, said she had no expectations when she left her home Wednesday evening to attend a legislators' meeting. It was widely anticipated that her colleague, two-time former Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Verma, who defeated AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for the New Delhi seat, would get the job.

However, the BJP delivered a surprising decision. "When I left home, I did not know that I would become the Chief Minister," Ms. Gupta said, adding that it was Mr. Verma who proposed her name.

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News Network
February 20,2025

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A group of nearly 300 migrants, including Indians deported from the United States under President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, are currently held in a hotel in Panama's Darien jungle region. These migrants hail primarily from Asian countries such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China.

The migrants are not permitted to leave the hotel as the Panamanian government awaits international authorities to arrange their return to their home countries. According to a report, Panama's Security Minister Frank Abrego stated that the migrants are receiving medical attention and food as per an agreement between the United States and Panama.

However, a report from The New York Times quoted Artemis Ghasemzadeh, 27, an Iranian deportee, who said, "It looks like a zoo; there are fenced cages. They gave us a stale piece of bread. We are sitting on the floor."

Deputy Foreign Minister of Panama, Carlos Ruiz-Hernandez, confirmed that 97 people were transferred to the camp. He emphasized that the migrants were not "detainees" but rather in a migrant camp where they will be taken care of, not a detention camp.

Migrants in the hotel rooms displayed messages on the windows reading "Help" and "We are not safe in our country." According to the report, 40% of the migrants are refusing to return to their home countries voluntarily.

Panama serves as a transit country due to the challenges the US faces in deporting individuals directly to some countries. While Panama acts as a "bridge," the US government bears the cost of these arrangements. This agreement between the two countries was announced following the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Panama. The threat of retaking control of the Panama Canal by Trump is mounting pressure on Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.

Costa Rica is also expected to receive a group of deportees on Wednesday.

Abrego stated that 171 of the 299 deportees had agreed to return to their home countries with the assistance of the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration. The remaining 128 migrants are still being processed, with efforts being made to find alternative locations for them. While individuals who refuse to return to their home countries will be detained in a facility in the remote province of Darien for a while, one deported Irish individual has already returned home.

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Agencies
February 18,2025

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New Delhi: In a significant diplomatic milestone, India and Qatar formally exchanged an agreement to establish a strategic partnership, reinforcing their growing bilateral ties. The exchange took place on Tuesday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The Amir of Qatar arrived in New Delhi on Monday evening for a two-day state visit, aimed at deepening cooperation across various sectors. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the visit as a step forward in strengthening the “growing multifaceted partnership” between the two nations.

During their meeting at Hyderabad House, Prime Minister Modi and the Amir of Qatar engaged in discussions covering a wide range of bilateral issues. The landmark agreement was exchanged between Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar.

Adding to the economic dimension of their collaboration, a revised agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion concerning income taxes was also exchanged. This agreement was signed between Qatar’s Prime Minister and India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, further strengthening economic cooperation.

The visit and agreements mark a new chapter in India-Qatar relations, paving the way for deeper economic, political, and strategic engagement in the years ahead.

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