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Kalyan rakes up Ram temple issue again

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

Kalyan Singh has once again raked up the Ram temple issue. In his reply to the Bharatiya Janata Party's show-cause notice, he has questioned the BJP dropping its promise to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya on the site where the Babri Masjid once stood.

The former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh also criticised the role of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It was Singh's remarks against Vajpayee ever since it became clear that he would be ousted as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh that had forced the BJP leadership to suspend him.

Given his outburst against Vajpayee, whom Singh has accused of shelving the promise to build the Ram temple simply for the sake of remaining prime minister, it is now clear that he will be expelled.

BJP general secretary K N Govindacharya, who is in charge of Uttar Pradesh, said the leadership would meet shortly to decide the next step. Earlier, he had clearly said that Kalyan Singh's outburst would not be tolerated. "Everything has a limit and Kalyan Singh has crossed all limits. Action will taken," he had warned.

Though the date of the party executive's meeting is not known, it is expected that the decision will be made on Monday, December 6. But given that the day also marks the seventh anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the party might defer its announcement to a less symbolic date.

On the other hand, there is speculation that Singh might announce the birth of a new political party on December 6. But if he does that, he will lose his seat in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. If he is expelled, however, he remains a member under the Anti-Defection Act.

Singh has been waging a virtual war on the prime minister since his ouster as chief minister following the party's poor performance in the general election. The BJP managed to win just 28 of the 85 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Just last year, it had won 58. Singh believes Vajpayee backed his detractors and encouraged dissidence.

By raking up the temple issue, however, it is also now clear that the expected Kalyan Singh-Mulayam Singh Yadav tie-up, which might have created a formidable backward-class force in Uttar Pradesh, will not come about. Kalyan Singh belongs to the Lodh caste, and a tie-up with the Yadavs would have created a numerically huge block of votes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Kalyan Singh was the chief guest at the wedding of Mulayam Singh's son on November 26, a few days after he had stepped down as chief minister. Speculation was rife then that he would join Yadav, or float a new party of backwards that would ally with Yadav's Samajwadi Party.

But the Samajwadi Party's support is mainly among the Yadavs and Muslims, and Mulayam Singh will not risk alienating the Muslims by aligning with a Kalyan Singh who is harping on the temple issue.

EARLIER REPORT:
Kalyan replies, taunts Prime Minister Vajpayee again

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