Basu 'Dumbfounded'

Veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu today strongly condemned union home ministerAdvani's
statement before the Liberhan commission yesterday that the Babri Masjid demolition was the happiest moment of his life.

''When someone says that the Babri Masjid demolition was the happiest moment in his life, how can his party bedescribed as other than uncivilised and barbaric?'' Basu, the former west bengal chief minister, said in a statement.(It would seem that there was some misunderstanding going on, as Advani hadtaken pains to distance himself from the demolition of the masjid, though he hadrefused to call it a mosque and referred to it as a 'structure')

He was 'dumbfounded' by Advani's remarks, Basu said adding such pronouncements would lower the country's image in theworld.

Claiming that Advani had compared the episode with the freedom struggle, Basu said, ''what can the country expectfrom his party which had betrayed the freedom movement?''

Basu said that Advani's statements before the commission were aimed at fomenting communal passions with an eye to thecoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.