Watch: When Atal Bihari Vajpayee Provoked & Incited The Babri Demolition

The Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute started in 1885 when a Hindu man filed a petition in a local court to build a temple at site of the Babri masjid in Ayodyhya. Hindus consider Ayodhya as a holy site, the ‘Ram Janmabhumi’ – birthplace of the mythical God-king Ram. In the petition, the legend, that Mughal ruler Babur’s generalhad demolished a temple of Lord Ram in order to build the mosque, was restated. It still remains a widely held belief among many Hindu groups.

The Babri Masjid site came to be disputed, with representatives of both Muslim and Hindu communities laying their claim. Pending a decision, the site was ordered to be locked by the courts.

The dispute took a violent turn on 6 December 1992, when a mob led by leaders of Hindu fundamentalists groups like the VHP, RSS and the BJP demolished the Babri Masjid, leading to communal clashes in different parts of the country.  

While L.K. Advani’s direct involvement in the Babri Masjid demolition is well documented and often recounted, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s role in the same does not get as much attention. In a speech that Vajpayee delivered just a day before the demolition, he had also indirectly called for the destruction of the mosque.

In this speech, Vajpayee said, “Even the Supreme Court decision does not stop kar seva. In reality, the court has shown us the path to do kar seva. There is no question of stopping. By doing kar seva in Ayodhya we will not be disrespecting any court order, by doing kar seva we will be respecting and obeying the Supreme Court order.”

Vajpayee continued, “There were sharp stones that came out, no one can sit there.. the ground has to be levelled..it has to be made fit for sitting. At least there will be a platform made..Yagya will be organised…The kar sevaks will decide together…I don’t know what will happen there tomorrow. I wanted to go to Ayodhya but I was told to go to Delhi and I’ll respect that order. But there’s a case in the SC, it has appointed an observer. He has been given facilities by the state government. The Centre can put a hotline and the SC can be in regular touch with the observer….”

It was under the name of ‘Kar Seva’ (religious service) that various Hindu outfits like the VHP, RSS-BJP and Bajrang Dal had mobilised volunteers to visit the site in Ayodhya and offer their services to build “Ram Mandir”. This mobilisation was key towards assembling the mob that brought down Babri on December 6, 1992.

A 900 page report submitted by retired judge M.S. Liberhan in 2009, blamed several senior Bharatiya Janata Party lawmakers for inciting violence and delivering hate speeches that lead to Babri Masjid demolition. According to report, both Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, along with other senior right-wing politicians, were “culpable of taking the country to the brink of communal discord”.  

Watch the full video of Vajpayee’s aforementioned speech here:

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