Lucknow: Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has criticised party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for meeting Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal. The meeting comes in the wake of the VHP having asked Mulayam to work as a bridge between Hindus and Muslims to solve the Ram Mandir issue amicably.
In a written statement, Azam Khan said Mulayam's decision has sent out wrong signals to the Muslim community. He also said that there was nothing left to mediate after the mosque was demolished in 1992. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has denied the permission for the VHP yatra from Ayodhya citing security reasons.
Azam said he was hopeful that the SP and his leader would not compromise with the image due to which he (Mulayam) and his colleagues reached to this place after long struggle.
On August 17, Singhal and Swami Chinmayanand met the SP supremo and the saffron leaders said they have proposed to Mulayam to work as a bridge between Hindus and Muslims to pave way for Ram Temple construction, and claimed the SP leader has responded positively.
Khan said it would send a wrong message to Muslims. "Muslims across the world consider Singhal equally guilty for the demolition of the mosque," he said adding, "A wrong message was going to the community.
"So much importance to such persons was not right," Khan said.
"When a long time has passed since the demolition of Babri mosque and building of Ram temple on December 6, 1992 then what's the meaning of mediation. Its beyond understanding," Azam said in a statement issued here.
"Expecting anything from such people will be a big mistake," he said.
A press conference organised on development agenda was delayed by two hours for the meeting, he said, adding that the manner the news was reported in the media has "revived the wounds of Muslims".
In his statement, the minister said if the mediation was being done to reconstruct Babri mosque it could be considered.
"But a number of cases are pending in the court on the issue and without any final judgement reconstruction is not possible. The court has divided the site in several parts. It has to be seen that for which part mediation will be done with Singhal," he said.
(With additional inputs from PTI)
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