By IANS,
New Delhi : As its senior leaders met to discuss the Liberhan Commission report that probed the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to a Ram temple on the site of the 16th century mosque in Ayodhya.
“There must be a constructive solution to the whole issue as Hindus across the globe want a grand temple to be constructed at the disputed site. The BJP also wishes that a temple is constructed there,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
The Liberhan Commission probing the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid submitted its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday, 17 years after it was formed.
The ancient mosque was demolished by radical Hindu groups on Dec 6, 1992, when BJP’s Kalyan Singh was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and Congress’ P.V. Narasimha Rao was prime minister.
Amongst those questioned for the Dec 6, 1992 demolition were senior leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Kalyan Singh as well as then BJP member and now Bharatiya Jan Shakti chief Uma Bharati.
According to party insiders, several BJP leaders, including Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, met at Advani’s residence to discuss the possible fallout of the report.
“The contents of the report are not known as yet. Once it is tabled in parliament, the BJP would come out with a proper, structured response. No one knows about its content as yet,” Prasad said.
Asked about timing of the report, he said: “The report took 17 years. As far as BJP leaders are concerned, a senior leader like L.K. Advani was examined and cross examined for a period of more than a week while he was the deputy prime minister of the country. Other prominent BJP leaders had also deposed before the commission.”
Asked if the party wants the report to be tabled in parliament, he said: “The country is entitled to know the contents of the report.”
Naming Advani, Joshi, Katiyar and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said: “They were all present at the time of demolition. They were all rejoicing and shouted slogans ‘Ek Dhakka Aur Do’. The BJP has been the champion of doublespeak.”
Criticising the Congress for blaming senior BJP leaders for the demolition, Prasad said: “The report has not been made public yet and the Congress reaction on it is utter rubbish. We condemn it completely. Even before the report is placed in parliament, the Congress has begun conspiracy.”
“Former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had himself said they would rebuild the Babri Masjid. The Congress accuses us of doublespeak; if they have the courage they should rebuild the mosque and then it will be cleared who indulges in doublespeak,” Prasad added.
Uma Bharati said the report had been completed during the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “All they needed was the finishing touch. But they took six years in the finishing touch. I am surprised. So, I see and smell a rat in it. And that is a political motive to collect the Muslim votes.”
“I see a conspiracy in delaying the report and in the way it is being politicised.”
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh said they would like to see the contents of the report.
“We would like to see the contents of the report and then only we can comment. The government is duty bound to submit the report in parliament,” said RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav.
“It was a collective feeling which resulted in the demolition and no individual can be blamed for it,” he added.