Thaindian News

Ayodhya, Sep 16 (IANS) Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh’s visit to the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi site in this Uttar Pradesh temple town Thursday evoked a low-key response with less than 50 people turning up to hear him.
Kalyan Singh, who for some years spearheaded the Ayodhya movement and was the state’s chief minister when the 16th-century Babri Mosque was pulled down by Hindu mobs Dec 6, 1992, however, struck an aggressive posture ahead of the verdict on the long drawn court battle Sep 24.

“We will not sit quietly in case the judgment goes against the Hindu claim to the disputed site but political parties must stay away from this issue,” he told media persons.

He said the objectives behind his visit were to have ‘darshan’ of the deity and to chalk out a post-judgment strategy.

Earlier, security men disallowed Kalyan from being accompanied by his supporters inside the precincts of the heavily-guarded makeshift temple. While he stepped into the narrow steel-barricaded long passage all alone, minutes later his son, Rajvir Singh was permitted to join him along with five supporters.

Meanwhile, the remaining supporters hanging around the outer security gates raised slogans.

Local response to Kalyan Singh’s visit was as unimpressive as when he came immediately after declaring the formation of his new political outfit, Jan Kranti Party, three months ago.