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ShareNew Delhi: Like a bad coin, the politics over the demolition of the Babri Masjid refuses to go away. Seventeen years after it was set up, the Liberhan Commission report threatens to reinvent the wheel once again. The BJP, which believes that the commission's report has brought the templeissue back to centre stage, reiterated its commitment to build the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, while the Congressviewed it as an opportunity topin the BJP down, and also consolidate its hold over the minorities.
Both parties also lost little time in scoring brownie points. "The demolition was an assault on the unity and integrity of India.All those responsible for it should be held accountable. There should be no politics over such a grave matter," said AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh.
BJP president Rajnath Singh slammed the commission saying that although he did not have the records of the report to comment on the findings, 17 years was too long a period to prepare a report. His spokespersonRavi Shankar Prasad accused the Congressof conspiring against the BJP.
Significantly, leader of the opposition, LK Advani was not available for his comments, though he is learnt to have discussed the likely fallout but of the report with Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj who called on him. Former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh, one of the main accused in the case, was also conspicuous by his silence.Though he was present at his Copernicus Marg residence, Singh refused to interact or answer calls from the media. His allies from the Samajwadi party, followed suit. None ofits prominent leaders were availablefor comment and its office wore a deserted look. Kalyan Singh was the CM of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh when the Babri Masjid was demolished on 6th December,1992.
However, some of the other accused, such as firebrand hindutva leaders Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar debunked the report outright.Uma Bharati, who was with BJP and present in Ayodhya at the time of masjid demolition, said, "I definitely wanted the Ram temple to come up (in Ayodhya) and I definitely wanted that building to come down but not in that manner. But I am not apologetic and I am not going to apologise. I am ready to be hanged for it." She accused the Congress-led UPA of trying to appease its "Muslim votebank".
Bharti also defended LK Advani, another co-accused in the case, saying that the former deputy PM was not happy over the episode.Co-accused Vinay Katiyar, meanwhile, dismissed the report, saying it had no standing as the panel had taken 17 years to submit the findings.
The BJPalso refuted the chargethat the delay in the completion of the commission's findings was on account of the attitude of its leaders. Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "All prominent BJP leaders summoned by the commission deposed before it. LK Advani who was the deputy prime minister, appeared before the commission and was examined and cross-examined for more than a week."
