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Apologise for Babri masjid? What about Kashmiri Pandits, asks BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party president L K Advani says his party would not extend an apology for the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in 1992.

Addressing a press conference in Jaipur on Tuesday, Advani strongly criticised the Congress's gesture of extending an apology for the demolition, saying that its intentions had no credibility. Rather it was mere votebank-oriented politics which had no impact on the community concerned, he added.

Strongly condemning the massacre of 23 Kashmiri Pandits near Srinagar, Advani said Kashmir was still bearing the pains of terrorism, with Kashmiri Pandits being brutally killed and forced to live like refugees in their own country.

However, no party bothered to express regrets or apologise for their miseries, he said.

Advani termed the Kashmir problem as a gift of the Congress, saying that incorrect policies of previous Congress governments, wrong decisions and lost opportunities had brought the problem to the present critical state.

He said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was also dissatisfied with the Centre's attitude.

In New Delhi, BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj declared that Kashmir would be at the top of its agenda, and terrorism would be dealt with an iron fist if the party formed the government at the Centre.

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