Hamid Ansari"The good that Narasimha Rao did to the country lives after him and has changed the very surroundings in which we live and work; the harm too lives on and continues to extract a heavy toll," Ansari said while releasing a new book "Half Lion - How P V Narasimha Rao Transformed India" penned by Vinay Sitapati. On economic policies and bringing in economic reforms with Manmohan Singh as the Union Finance Minister, Ansari however said: "The crisis of 1991 was the catalyst. These relate to the management of Parliament and to the demolition of Babri Masjid," Ansari said. The Prime Minister was perceived to be weak; so his focus was on wide ranging consultations with the opposition to ascertain issues and seek a consensus on the parliamentary agenda." On the demolition of Babri mosque, Ansari cited the book's assessment in which Sitapati says: "Rao wanted to protect the mosque and protect Hindu sentiments and protect himself.

Source: Mid-Day June 27, 2016 18:11 UTC