Congress shares blame for Babri demolition: Lalu

The chasm between erstwhile allies, the Congress and the RJD, is getting wider by the day. So much so that RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has  been defending the Congress party for the last 10 years on the Babri Masjid issue did a complete U-turn on Saturday, holding the Congress responsible for the demolition of the mosque along with the BJP.

Speaking at an election rally in Dharbanga in Bihar, Lalu Yadav said, “The BJP and its leader LK Advani — who is dreaming of becoming the next prime minister — were mainly responsible for demolition of the mosque, but the Congress was also responsible because of its failure to protect it,” he said.

Lalu’s remarks reflect the level to which the relations between the two parties have deteriorated after both parties decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections on their own.

Predictably, the remarks brought a swift retort from some of the RJD chief’s friends in the Congress. “I am surprised that he is talking like this. He knows that it was the BJP and its leaders like LK Advani and Kalyan Singh who were responsible. Maybe he should ask his new friend Kalyan Singh about his role in the demolition” said Kapil Sibal.