BJP Leader’s ‘Babri Assurance’: Sharad Pawar’s Biggest Claim

Sharad Pawar, who served as the defense minister when the Babri Masjid was demolished, claimed attendance at the meeting at the book launch for renowned journalist Neerja Chowdhury’s book “How Prime Ministers Decide.”

In New Delhi: BJP leader Vijaya Raje Scindia had promised the then-prime minister PV Narasimha Rao that nothing would happen to the Babri Masjid as the Ram Janmbhoomi movement gained momentum in 1992, and he trusted her against the advise of his ministers, NCP chief Sharad Pawar stated on Tuesday.

Mr. Pawar, who was the defense minister at the time of the Babri Masjid demolition, stated that he, along with the then-home minister and the home secretary, was present at the meeting at the publication of senior writer Neerja Chowdhury’s book “How Prime Ministers Decide.”

I was one of a number of ministers that existed. The decision was made for the prime minister to convene a meeting of the relevant party’s leaders, according to the NCP leader.

In that encounter, Vijaya Raje Scindia gave the prime minister his word that the Babri Masjid would not be harmed. According to Mr. Pawar, Rao opted to believe Scindia even though he, the home minister, and the home secretary believed anything could happen.

Ms. Chowdhury, on the other hand, recalled a conversation that Rao had with a few prominent journalists after the mosque was demolished, during which the prime minister was questioned about what he was doing at the time.

According to her, Rao told journalists that he permitted it because it would heal a festering wound and he believed the BJP would lose its biggest political asset if it didn’t.

Mr Pawar co-launched the book alongside Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, former railway minister and BJP leader Dinesh Trivedi, and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

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Rajdeep Sardesai, a veteran journalist, moderated the conversation. Trivedi recalled Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as Prime Minister and Arun Nehru’s role as one of his major advisors.

Arun Nehru treated people like family. It was one of the best times, and if it persisted, everything would be drastically different, according to Trivedi.

The failure of the Congress-led alliance was due, according to former Union minister Prithviraj Chavan, to adequately handle the Anna Hazare agitation.

“What happened right before it is what led to that downfall. 2G scams… We handled Anna Hazare improperly. The Congress government came to an end because of that, he claimed.

Along with mentioning the nuclear accord, he added that the late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was skilled at fostering consensus.

The book by Chowdhury examines the leadership philosophies of the nation’s prime ministers through the lens of six pivotal historical decisions.

The book includes discussions of the former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s return to power in 1980 following her humiliating defeat following the Emergency in 1977, Rajiv Gandhi’s choice to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Shah Bano case, V P Singh’s implementation of the Mandal Commission Report, PV Narasimha Rao’s role as prime minister during the Babri Masjid incident, and the administrations of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.