Ayodhya 1990 firing on Karsevaks: Eyewitness recalls horrific experience when 125 people took shelter at her home

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 15 : Om Bharati, a 75-year-old lady and eyewitness to the 1990 firing incident on Karsevaks in Ayodhya by the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government, recalled her experience when around 125 Karsevaks took shelter at her place to save themselves. The Pran Pratishtha of Ram Mandir on January 22 becomes special for her as she also received an invitation.
On November 2, 1990, the then Mulayam Singh government ordered police forces to open fire on the Kar-Sevaks.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad former President Ashok Singhal and 125 karsevaks took shelter in Om Bharati's house.
Upon receiving the invitation, she was very emotional and said that the dream of all Ram devotees has now come true.

"I am very happy that I will see the Ram Lala Pran Pratishtha ceremony. But I can never forget the blood, pain and humiliation of my KarSevaks. Their only demand was to install Ram Lalla in his place, but for his political gains, the then Chief Minister ordered opened fire on innocent karsevaks," she told ANI.

"There was a government in Uttar Pradesh. The CM had given orders to open fire on the karsevaks. My house was completely converted into a cantonment. I gave shelter to around 125 karsevaks in my house and all the arrangements were made for them; brothers, mother and sisters were taking shelter in my house. But whenever they came out, they were shot one by one," she added.
She also mentioned the Kothari brothers who were killed in the firing, becoming martyrs for the cause of Ram Janambhoomi Mandir.
"Kothari brothers also stayed at my place and as soon as they came out of my house, they were shot and killed," Om Bharati said.
The eye-witness of the incident also slammed Congress of becoming a mere spectator.

"In Uttar Pradesh, the government did a lot of injustice to the karsevak. Congress also remained a mere spectator, did not provide any help and even when the matter went to court later. They tried their best to stop the construction of Ram Temple but did not succeed," she said.
Recalling the incident, Om Bharati said that the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, ordered to open the firing on Karsevaks just to please his Muslim vote banks.
"Mulayam Singh Yadav did this for Muslim votes. The karsevaks were not doing anything, they were just sitting and chanting 'Jai Ram-Shri Ram'. There was no question of Hindu-Muslim. It must be Mulayam Singh's man who threw the stone from the rooftop. Why would KarSevaks have stones? The force should have had found the person pelting the stones but instead bullets were fired at the karsevaks," she added.
She asserted that due to PM Modi and CM Yogi, Ram Temple is being built in Ayodhya today.
" Today these people (opposition) giving big statements on Lord Ram, who had never shown their faith on Ram. Due to the government of PM Modi and CM Yogi, Ram temple is being built in Ayodhya today, it is because of them all this has become possible today," Om Bharati told ANI.