Click to play videoThe ghost of Babri Masjid demolition is back. Has the Samajwadi Party betrayed Muslims by going with Kalyan Singh?
Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh - who is said to have sowed the seeds of this alliance – spoke with CNN-IBN on The Weekend Edition with Rajdeep Sardesai and defended the “friendship” forged between his party and their former enemy no. 1.
Rajdeep Sardesai: The big question is that you’ve sacrificed principles at the altar of political expediency. You have tied up with Kalyan Singh who was, for a long time, your enemy no. 1 in UP. How can Muslims of UP trust you and Mulayam Singh Yadav?
Amar Singh: Absolutely wrong, Rajdeep. Nobody has tied up with Kalyan Singh and Kalyan Singh has not put any condition. He’s not even a participant of our politics. He has made a resolve and has said this is a friendship without any condition. He does not have a pie in political share (sic).
Rajdeep Sardesai: Kalyan Singh was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh when Babri Masjid was demolished. He went to the Liberhan Commission and said the Masjid was a symbol of national disgrace. He had no apologies (to offer) for the demolition.
Amar Singh: History cannot be changed and we won’t defend what’s already done. While others have made statements, we have done whatever was required to do to save Babri Masjid. We even opened fire. We are past the scrutiny of test and time. Now, in order to finish BJP and communal forces, a strong, staunch BJP stalwart has taken a resolve that without any condition he will help.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Are you saying you will not share a platform with Kalyan Singh? Are you saying there will be no question of you two campaigning together or you providing support?
Amar Singh: I am not saying that but I am definitely saying that Kalyan Singh is not joining our party.
Rajdeep Sardesai: But it’s an alliance. You are tying up with someone who was mascot of Hindutva forces till a few years, even few weeks ago.
Amar Singh: There’s no tie-up. If you carefully go through the statements, he says it’s a friendship and the core reason is that he is against BJP.
Rajdeep Sardesai: So the reason is that my enemy’s enemy is my friend. You say it’s a friendship but a friendship in election terms translates into an alliance. What are you telling the average Muslim on the street who felt the SP stood with them all the time?
Amar Singh: I went to Deoband where the average Muslim wanted an answer from Kalyan Singh. From there I directly went to Kalyan Singh and told their feelings to him to which he subsequently clarified. Ulemas came, collectively met Mulayam Singh and they are absolutely satisfied.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Is it not true that some angry Ulemas chased you away?
Amar Singh: Absolutely not, there cannot be a bigger lie than this. I was given a very warm welcome, I wasn’t chased or hounded.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Isn’t there a revolt in Samajwadi Party with several Muslim leaders leaving in the past one year?
Amar Singh: During election time, such disasters take place.
Rajdeep Sardesai: The new-found ally, Congress, is also upset with you by the manner in which this tie-up has taken place. Digvijay Singh has gone on record to say that they will not be a part of any election tie-up that involves Kalyan Singh. Are you worried that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?
Amar Singh: First of all, there’s no Muslim revolt in the party. People who refer you to have been denied seats. The moment seats will be given back, it will all be hunky dory. They are behaving like political weathercocks. About Congress, the party should make up its mind as to whether we – with our friendship with Kalyan Singh – are touchables or untouchables. They cannot do doublespeak and have double standards. On the one hand they want a tie-up and are asking for 25-30 seats, saying that if everything doesn’t come out clearly by Feb 11, they will make their stand on Kalyan Singh public. It means if tie-up happens everything will be fine. If it doesn’t happen then Kalyan Singh issue will be used as an excuse to attack us.
Rajdeep Sardesai: So you are saying that everyone in UP is practicing the politics of pragmatism and not of principles. There’s no morality, principle left in politics.
Amar Singh: As far as we are concerned, we are not doing that. Mulayam Singh did not go and join Kalyan Singh, Kalyan Singh came to us. I welcome Advani, Bal Thackeray to do the same.
Rajdeep Sardesai: So the moment they join or tie-up with you, they become secular, right?
Amar Singh: The same way by which when Shankar Sinh Vaghela joins Congress, he became secular, when Narayan Rane joins Congress, he too becomes secular. What’s good for Peter must be good for Paul as well.
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