Hindi version of Liberhan report to be given to members soon

The Hindi version of the Liberhan Commission report on the Babri Masjid demolition would be made available to members "as early as possible" to enable a discussion in Parliament on the issue, the government told the Lok Sabha today.

Parliamentary affairs minister PK Bansal gave the assurance in the House during Zero Hour after CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta raised the issue of postponement of the discussion, scheduled today.

SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav had complained to speaker Meira Kumar yesterday about non-availability of the Hindi version and expressed inability of his party to participate till it was made available, Bansal said.

He said the Speaker took the decision after consulting the government and the main opposition BJP and added that the government was ready to discuss the report even on the day it was tabled in Parliament.

As per the earlier schedule, the discussion in Lok Sabha on the report was scheduled today and in Rajya Sabha  on December seven, a day after the 17th anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid.

At one point when some members raised queries about postponement of the discussion, the speaker observed it was her  decision which could not be debated in the House.

While Dasgupta wanted to know whether the government was withdrawing its decision to allow a debate, CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia said it was government's "utter failure" not to get the report translated into Hindi even when it had several months in hand since it was submitted.