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no justice for muslims



GETTING AWAY: LK Advani was present near the Babri Masjid when it was demolished on December 6, 1992.

CNN-INDIA EXCLUSIVE


Babri Masjid probe to let off Advani lightly

Published on Friday , August 31, 2007

New Delhi: The Justice M.S. Liberhan Commission, which has been probing the demolition of the Babri Masjid for 15 years, is going to let off BJP leader L K Advani lightly.

CNN-INDIA has had access to some key aspects of the Liberhan report, which will be ready in the next 45 days. From the present form of the report it appears that Advani will not be declared guilty of conspiracy in bringing the mosque down on December 6, 1992.

CNN-INDIA has learnt that there will be enough reference to Advani, who was the BJP president then, and his role as he spearheaded the rathayatra (Hindu March). But his complicity and involvement will be viewed as indirect.

The Commission, which was set up 10 days after the mosque’s demolition, feels that it has enough evidence to suggest Advani had a role in demolishing the mosque but that was largely peripheral.

He cannot even be accused of having instigated or incited the mob of karsewaks (Hindu Workers). So, in essence Advani is going to escape Justice Liberhan's wrath as the judge prepares the final draft of the report in Chandigarh, Capital of India's state of Punjab.

Even then, the considerable reference to Advani in the report will come in handy for the UPA regime especially if it opts for mid-term polls. The timing of the submission of the final report, now slated for October, could not have been more beneficial for the Congress.

CNN-INDIA has also been made aware through sources close to Justice Liberhan that the role of Sangh Parivar leaders will provide enough ammunition to the Congress.

The names of those who might be blamed for direct involvement are Vinay Katiyaar (the Ayodhya-based party functionary), Uma Bharti (the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister who has since parted ways with the party), senior VHP leader Ashok Singhal, another VHP heavyweight Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Kalyan Singh, the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister who instead of being a law-enforcer apparently aided and abetted the law-breakers and Murli Manohar Joshi, whose political relevance was of immense value to the party in 1992 even after he had lost the BJP presidency to LK Advani.

Even RSS chief K.S.Sudershan's role may be questioned by the judge in the report. It was Sudershan who had deposed before the Commission instead of the ailing Raju Bhaiyya.

The report from present indications is going to run into 700 pages. Over a period of 14 years, the one-man commission has recorded statements of several politicians, bureaucrats and police officials including Kalyan Singh, late Narasimha Rao, Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharati and Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The vital information about the report's possible contents obtained by CNN-INDIA suggest it will become a major political issue in the national context and will be widely debated even if there is no immediate polls.