Do you know it was the Congress govt, not BJP that triggered the Ram temple agitation?

Infamous 6 December, the day when Babri mosque in Ayodhya was demolished by furious Kar Sevaks who assembled at the spot for laying the foundation of Ram Temple on the disputed land, brings back the memories of thousands of people who were butchered after the incident took place.

Organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, RSS and BJP have been continuously accused of exploiting the rather sensitive issue for their political or personal gains. It is alleged that the BJP made its presence felt on the national pedestal for the first time after the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation ha started.

However, the rather unholy agenda of Congress government led by Rajiv Gandhi which actually gave a push to the entire fiasco is ignored by many.

How did it begin?

• The clashes between Hindu and Muslim community were a continuous menace since a long time and the situation became more chaotic after idols of Lord Ram and Sita were installed inside the mosque on the night of 22 December 1949 in an incognito manner.

• To ensure that the situation did not go out of hand, the administration closed the structure for both the Hindus and Muslims. The things remained comparatively calmer between 1951 and 1986.

• After the Congress party felt the heat of Shah Bano case controversy in 1985 for appeasing the orthodox Muslim community, the Rajv Gandhi government yielded and played the 'Hindu card' and ordered the opening of gates of the disputed structure and allowed entry of Hindus to worship.

Shah Bano (File Photo)

After the incident took place, the issue became a matter of national importance and the situation was dexterously exploited by right wing groups like VHP and BJP. In addition, a Babri Action Committee was also formed by the Muslims to put forward their claims and demands. In the end, everything went out of hand and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement started by VHP in 1984 brought together thousands of Kar Sevaks who marched towards Ayodhya in 1992.