BJP, Congress spar over Liberhan report

BJP and Congress today clashed over the findings of the Liberhan Commission, which is believed to have indicted senior BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and MM Joshi, among others, for the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.

Justice MS Liberhan, who submitted his findings to the government on June 30, this year after an inquiry lasting nearly 17 years, has called the BJP leaders "pseudo-moderates", and stated that the entire build-up to the demolition was meticulously planned, according to a newspaper report.

The voluminous report, expected to be tabled in Parliament along with the Action Taken Report (ATR) during the ongoing winter session, is believed to have refrained from coming down heavily on the then-Union government headed by PV Narasimha Rao, saying that the then -State governor did not do much and also did not seek the Centre's intervention.

Accusing the Congress government of "selectively leaking" the report to one newspaper, BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said this has been done to "divert attention from core issues" like price rise and corruption.

"There is no authenticity of the report. Why is the government shying away from tabling the Liberhan report in Parliament," he asked and said that the move was aimed at creating "turmoil in Parliament and across the nation."

MM Joshi said, "This is a leakage and such leakages are, I think, with a political motive. So the best thing is that the government should place the entire report (in Parliament) and what action they want to take on the report."

Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said that for nearly two decades, the nation as a whole, generally knew what had happened and how senior functionaries of a political party watched people causing destruction and mayhem and then shed "crocodile tears".

"The nation, as a whole, knows the proximity of the structure where these supposedly senior functionaries of a political party were standing, many of them joyous and clapping, watching hordes of people causing destruction and mayhem and then shedding crocodile tears," Singhvi said.

"The nation also knows about the Rath Yatra, the organised movements. So, I think the people of this country cannot be treated as fools, as those who treat them as fools are the real fools," he quipped.

Singhvi said, "There is no question of confirming or denying the report because it is a property of Parliament which is in session, and only when the government tables it, that we can speak on it."

Demanding that the report be immediately placed before Parliament, Joshi said that six months have passed and, according to the law, it is incumbent upon the government to table the report along with the ATR.

Justice Liberhan said that "anybody could manipulate my report and put something in my mouth, but I am not going to comment on it."

BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar accused the Congress of playing "dirty politics". "And we (BJP) don't react on leaks, as nobody has authenticated the report. So, unless the government comes out openly and gives the ATR, it is useless to discuss the subject," he said.

Giving his reaction, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav accused the government of sitting over the Liberhan report. "Right from the Sri Krishna Commission and Liberhan Commission, all these commissions (were) set up by Congress governments and now they are sitting on it," he said.

Talking to reporters after an all-party meeting convened by speaker Meira Kumar on the functioning of the Lok Sabha, the SP supremo said, "Why was it leaked to a newspaper? The ruling party is responsible for (it). It should answer why the report was not tabled (before the House) for so long."

Former prime minister and JDS chief HD Devegowda, while seeking tabling of the report, said, "Action must be taken on the basis of the report. Let the report be placed in the House, then we will demand action against people (named in the report)."

CPI leader D Raja said, "The report should be placed on the table of the House. We will also demand the tabling of the ATR."

SP general secretary Amar Singh said , "It's been 17 years since the commission was formed but the report was not placed before the House. There is a tradition in democracy. When Parliament is in session, the report should have been placed before the House and not leaked to media. This is undemocratic and we oppose it."

RLD chief Ajit Singh said, "The government has said they will place the report in this session of the House. Let it happen. Parliament is the right forum to discuss it."

The all-party meeting was attended among others by finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, leader of the opposition LK Advani, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and RSP's Abani Roy.