SP MP Sanatan Pandey Defends Mulayam Singh Yadav Over 1990 Firing

Samajwadi Party MP Sanatan Pandey defends former CM Mulayam Singh Yadav's 1990 firing order, claiming it upheld the Constitution and prevented civil war, while criticizing BJP for politicizing the incident ahead of 2027 polls.

SP MP Defends Mulayam Singh Yadav Over 1990 Firing

In what has emerged as a controversy as Uttar Pradesh gears up for assembly polls in 2027, Samajwadi Party MP Sanatan Pandey on Monday strongly defended former Prime Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav over the 1990 firing incident on Kar Sevaks, taking a swipe at the central government. He said that Singh's action was taken to uphold the Indian Constitution and prevent a potential civil war.

Speaking to the reporters, Pandey accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misleading the public for over three decades by continuously politicising the 1990 incident. Highlighting the irony, he asked who is responsible for the alleged firing orders during recent mass agitations. "For 35 years, ever since 1991, they (BJP) have been criticising Mulayam Singh Yadav, claiming that he ordered firing on Ram devotees. They have used this narrative to mislead the public. But tell me, under their own rule, just recently, who ordered the firing on others? Whose government was in power in the state? Whose government was in power at the Centre? If Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) ordered the firing to protect the Constitution of India, then it was the absolutely correct course of action," he said.

Disputed Site Protection Concerns

He emphasised that during that time the disputed site (now Ram Temple) was supposed to be protected. The core responsibility to ensure nobody reached the site rested with the Centre and local authorities. "At that time, the Indian Army had been deployed. The primary responsibility lay in ensuring that no one reached the disputed structure, referred to here as the Ram Mandir, which was already subject to a court-ordered stay. How did the individuals, the Ram Bhakts, manage to reach it? The responsibility for this also rested with the Central government, as well as with the local authorities tasked with maintaining law and order," he said.

Pandey further argued that the action taken by the then-Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav prevented a catastrophic escalation that could have torn the nation's social fabric apart. "Had the order not been given to open fire, the mosque or the temple might have been destroyed; such an event could well have triggered a civil war in India, much like the destruction of temples that occurred in other countries. Therefore, the firing was ordered to protect the Constitution of India," he said.

Yogi Adityanath's Call for Apology

The remarks come after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a scathing attack on the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, asked him to apologise to the kar sevaks who were fired upon during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, saying those responsible for the incident should express remorse. Addressing an event in Ayodhya, Yogi said, “Please come, but first, make sure you apologise to the kar sevaks who were fired upon. You must express remorse.” (ANI)

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