Thursday, May 12 2005 19:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh today (May 12, 2005) told the Liberhan Commission that he was "morally bound" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s 1989 Palampur Resolution to speak about the temple movement but was not involved in the mobilisation of people for the December 6, 1992 kar seva on which the disputed structure was demolished.

"I was committed to the Palampur Resolution and therefore I was duty bound to try to enable the people that they should come out and support BJP for the Ram temple movement in Ayodhya," he told the Commission, probing the demolition.

However, Singh said that as a Chief Minister he was not involved in the mobilisation of kar sevaks for December 6, 1992 kar seva in which many people came to Ayodhya on their own, besides efforts to mobilise people were done by the Sangh Parivar organisations.

"In so far as mobilisation is concerned, a large majority of people were Ram Bhakts and they came on their own. However, the general campaign was taken by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and Sadhu Sants who eventually mobilised public opinion for kar seva and Ram Temple," he said.

"While I did speak and continued to speak on the issue of Ram Temple in view of the Palampur Resolution, I did not run any campaign for the construction of temple," Singh said.

He reiterated his earlier claim that disputed structure was a "defacto" as well as "dejure" temple and referred to a report prepared after excavation by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the orders of Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court, which said that a temple like structure existed at the site.

He also claimed the site in question was a Ram temple as no 'namaz' (prayer) was offered by the Muslims since 1936 and from 1949 Hindus had been worshipping there.