New Delhi, June 20: Holding former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh "equally responsible" for the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya, the VHP today said it did not consider the act a "sin" as the structure was a "victory memorial" for Babur and not a mosque. "Singh is equally responsible for the demolition. After coming out of the meeting of BJP and Sangh leaders before December six, 1992, he told me that the structure should be demolished when he is in power but no such decision was taken (at the meeting)," VHP senior vice-president Acharya Giriraj Kishore told a news agency over phone from Bhopal. He was responding to Singh's allegations that the structure was demolished on the directions of senior BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders including Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Kishore.


The VHP leader, however, asserted that the outfit did not consider the demolition as a "sin."

"It was a functional temple where Puja was permitted by the court. If at all, it was a so-called mosque built in memory of an invader. It was a victory memorial," he said.

The demolition of the structure, Kishore said, had "removed from the heart of mother India a black spot, which had been lying for 450 years."
Bureau Report