By IANS,
New Delhi : Justice M.S. Liberhan, who headed the commission that inquired into the Babri Masjid demolition, says that attempts were made to scuttle his probe that lasted 17 long years.
“I cannot restrain myself from observing that attempts were made to scuttle the commission,” said Liberhan in his 1,000-page report on the demolition made public Tuesday.
Liberhan, in his Afterword chapter, held: “It was claimed that all relevant documents were produced and proper assistance in the conduct of the inquiry rendered. Yet at the end of the day, I have reason to believe that some things have still been withheld and the records were kept back from the commission.”
Elsewhere, the report said: “The commission then issued notices for eliciting information and invited affidavits from the general public. Sadly, there were virtually none who came forth to provide any meaning or useful information. Despite repeated advertisements, no relevant information was forthcoming, not even any hearsay evidence or theories.”
“Even the state and the union governments were not forthcoming with relevant records. The commission, therefore, had to turn to the public figures and request their appearance as witnesses for the purpose of ascertaining the facts,” it added.
It said that the commission was left gasping for facts and supporting evidence and faced a blind wall situation.
“The procedural wrangling and the practical difficulties consumed a major part of the commission’s time,” the report added.
“After much persuasion, the central government had started examining its witnesses sporadically and with delays, and according to their own convenience and expediency. The central government took a number of years to examine a handful of witnesses, whose roles was limited just to the security aspects,” he said.
“No attempts were made by the central government to examine anybody with respect to their role, facts, circumstances, environment or ambience generated, conspiracy or a joint common enterprise resulting in demolition.”