Guwahati, Sunday 19 April 2009: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today refuted RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s charge that Congress was also to be blamed for the demolition of the Babri mosque, saying the party’s only fault was to believe the assurance given by then UP chief minister Kalyan Singh to the Supreme Court on protecting the structure.

“Kalyan Singh (then UP Chief Minister) gave a solemn assurance to the Supreme Court (about protecting the mosque). The Congress party certainly can be blamed because it believed that (Kalyan) Singh will honour his assurance given to the Supreme Court. But he did not honour it.

“That’s the only fault of the Congress in the demolition of the Babri mosque,” Singh told reporters here.

Replying to questions, Singh maintained that communalism is a “great danger” to the unity of the country and the Congress party had espoused secular values.

On the issues of Naxalism and terrorism, Singh said both constitute a “great threat” to the unity and integrity of India. The Prime Minister also vowed to make “more determined efforts” to contain these problems in future.

Singh expressed confidence that the Congress and its allies will be able to form “a credible government” at the Centre after the polls.
(Agency)