Mulayam hits out at Ayodhya judgment

LUCKNOW - Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav Friday hit out at the judgment in the age-old Ayodhya dispute, saying it was hardly based on legalities.

“The verdict appears to be have been given more on the basis of faith and belief rather than on the basis of legalities and evidence,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister told reporters here.

“I am firmly of the view that the court has somehow ignored or overlooked various legal issues and relied more on the faith and belief of people. This is not how a court should have acted,” said Mulayam Yadav.

“I am disappointed with the verdict, which does not appear to show any healthy signals for the country and the judiciary. I will not be surprised if it creates more complications rather than solving its problems.”

Hailing the decision of the Sunni Central Waqf Board to challenge the judgment before the Supreme Court, he said: “I am confident the apex court will take a purely legal view and give a judgment without being influenced by extraneous considerations of faith and belief.”

He said “the verdict had hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims of this country as they feel cheated because justice has been denied to them.

“I have always been of the view that a nation cannot be run on the basis of faith. It is the constitution and law that govern a nation.

“I had stated this before the National Integration Council way back in 1990 when the entire country faced the threat of a major turmoil.

“It was there that I compared myself with Arjun in Mahabharat because I may have to order firing on my own brethren in the larger interest of law and order. That is what I had to do because law is supreme.”

Mulayam Yadav’s reference was to the firing by paramilitary forces at a 100,000-strong mob that raided the Babri mosque in 1990 when he was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

The mosque was eventually razed in December 1992 by Hindu mobs, triggering nationwide riots.