Political row erupts over Nripendra Misra’s remarks on 1990s Ayodhya decisions

Lucknow: A political controversy erupted on Saturday following remarks by Ram Mandir Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Misra, who said that decisions during critical events like the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid were largely driven by political leadership rather than bureaucratic officials.

Recalling the developments of that period, Misra said that in 1992, despite reports indicating a collapse of law and order in Ayodhya, the then Chief Minister Kalyan Singh had issued clear instructions that police should not open fire on ‘Karsevaks’.

He also referred to his tenure serving under different political administrations, including that of former Chief Minister late Mulayam Singh Yadav, noting the contrast in approaches adopted by the two leaders during moments of crisis.

Reacting to Misra’s remarks, Uttar Pradesh Minister Jaiveer Singh told IANS, “The entire world knows that no matter who the principal secretary is, the decision of the Chief Minister is followed. Whatever Mulayam Singh Yadav had decided, it had to be followed by Misra and other officials even though they did not agree.”

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo also criticised the actions of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, saying, “No one can justify what Mulayam Singh Yadav’s government did to Kar Sevaks. It was brutal and a big attack on the Sanatanis.”

However, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajkumar Bhati offered a sharply different interpretation, claiming that Misra himself had earlier indicated that the decision to open fire was taken at the administrative level.

“Nripendra Misra had said that he had given the orders to fire. This was not a political decision. He is now twisting his remarks. Politicians just gave the instructions to save the infrastructure. The decision of how one saves it lies with the officials. The firing orders were given by Misra. Even without firing, the situation could have been controlled, but he might not have prepared for it and still gave the orders to shoot,” Bhati told IANS.

He further added, “He is now flipping from his earlier stand. I agree that 90 per cent of decisions are taken by the government. However, the government only decides that law and order is maintained and the infrastructure is unharmed, it does not decide whether the officials use lathis or guns.”

Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Misra had said, “Decisions of this kind are not taken at the level of the Principal Secretary. About 90 per cent of such decisions are political in nature, and around 10 per cent involve inputs from the Home Secretary, the Chief Secretary, and the Director General of Police.”

“I served as a Principal Secretary of both former Chief Ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kalyan Singh. You would also be aware that when the report was presented to Kalyan Singh, stating that law and order in Ayodhya had collapsed, he gave the written order that no firing would take place in the sacred city,” he added.

The remarks come in the context of the earlier Ayodhya firing, when police opened fire on karsevaks on October 30 and November 2, 1990, during the tenure of Mulayam Singh Yadav as the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

The exchange has triggered a fresh debate over accountability and decision-making during one of the most contentious episodes in the country’s political history.

IANS