india

Updated: Jan 25, 2016 09:45 IST

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday said he “felt sad” for ordering firing on ‘karsewaks’ in Ayodhya in 1990 but it was necessary to save the religious place.

Mulayam, who was the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, had ordered firing on karsewaks in Ayodhya in 1990 in which 16 people were killed.

“I feel sad for firing on Karsewaks but it was necessary to save the religious place (Babri Mosque),” Yadav said while addressing party workers at party headquarter in Lucknow on occasion of birth anniversary of socialist leader Karpoori Thakur.

Mulayam said when the then Leader of Opposition Atal Bihari Vajpayee had mentioned the incident in Parliament, he had replied that it was necessary to order firing.

“He would have not considered his decision, if more lives would have gone to save the religious place,” he said, mentioning his replying in Parliament.

The firing on karsewaks had taken place on October 30, 1990, when Mulayam was chief minister of UP and the BJP-backed VHP’s Ram temple movement was at its peak.