Ayodhya

Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao was born in Karimnagar in the erstwhile state of Hyderabad in June 1921. After playing an active part in Hyderabad's Independence movement, he served as a Congress minister in Andhra Pradesh, and became chief minister of the state in 1971. In 1977, he was elected to the Lok Sabha, and went on to hold several cabinet posts under Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, including those of foreign minister and home minister. After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991, Rao was chosen to lead the Congress party, and became prime minister of India. Leading a minority government, Rao was the first prime minister from outside the Gandhi-Nehru family to serve out a full five-year term. His premiership is remembered for the liberalization of the Indian economy and the move towards free-market reforms. Rao resigned as Congress president after the party lost the 1996 general elections. He died in December 2004.

'A sensational book' India Today

A shocking exposÌÄå© of the event that changed Indian politics forever

P.V. Narasimha Rao was the prime minister of India when, on 6 December 1992, thousands of kar sevaks stormed into the site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. The nation watched in horror as the centuries-old mosque was razed to the ground, in the presence of paramilitary forces and senior political leaders, marking a turning point in post-Independence Indian history.

Many hold Rao responsible for not preventing the demolition, while others accuse him of being a co-conspirator. In this tell-all account, Rao reveals what really transpired in the run-up to that fateful day. Drawing on the Supreme Court order, parliamentary proceedings, eyewitness reports and his own insights, he presents a comprehensive view of the machinations that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

Nearly three decades after the event, Ayodhya: 6 December 1992 remains a valuable resource to understanding the political manoeuvres behind the Ram Mandir issue and the dangers of exploiting religious sentiments for narrow electoral gains.

A sensational book . . . an affirmation, a declaration of faith in political decency and constitutional propriety[This is Rao's] best account of the developments which had shaken the entire country . . . Reproduce[s] the governor's report that may give a totally new twist to the Ram Janmbhoomi controversy . . . tries to answer some questions which have remained unanswered, so far, about the most defining political moments of recent times