Rehman Malik clarifies Babri remark, says never compared it to 26/11

New Delhi: Clarifying his controversial remarks on Babri Masjid, visiting Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said he never compared the 26/11 attacks with the demolition. "I was simply talking about the ugly events such as Mumbai and so many others," Malik said in a press conference, after his meeting with Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

On Friday night, Malik had equated the 1992 demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya with 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai. "We do not want any 9/11. We do not want any Bombay blasts, we do not want any Samjhauta Express, we do not want any Babri mosque issue and we can work together not only for peace in Pakistan and India but also for the region," Malik had said in New Delhi.

But a day later he claimed that his statement had been misinterpreted while adding that he never compared the 26/11 terrorist strike with the Babri Masjid demolition.

Malik said that he was only giving examples of \'ugly events\' such as Mumbai attacks and Babri Masjid demolition.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley slammed the UPA Government for not responding to Malik's Babri Masjid statement immediately. "The senior minister present should have contested that statement rather than him (Malik) having to clarifying his statements," Jaitley said.

Malik, who is on a three day visit in the country, also said that Pakistan had initiated investigation on Mumbai attacks and made arrests even before India brought up the issues. He added that Pakistan is not backing any terrorist group, including Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Earlier, the Pakistani leader, who termed the talks with Shinde 'successful', had created another controversy by saying he is unsure whether Kargil war hero Captain Saurabh Malik had been killed by a Pakistani bullet or the weather.

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