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PM must clear the air on demolition: BJP

KOLKATA: Describing the Liberhan Commission report as one “not based on evidence,” Prakash Javadekar, national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded here on Wednesday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was in the P.V. Narasimha Rao government at the time of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, come up with a statement on the Centre’s role then.

“Narasimha Rao is not there, but Manmohan Singh who was number two in that government should come out with a statement,” Mr. Javadekar said.

The leak of the report was a “political move by the Congress” to malign the BJP. “But it backfired on them and the government was compelled to place the report in Parliament following united pressure exerted by the Opposition.” The BJP would give notice for moving a breach of privilege motion in the House over the leak, Mr. Javadekar said.

He was critical of the report for indicting the former Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, “without any evidence.” Mr. Vajpayee was neither given notice by the Commission nor summoned, he pointed out.

Referring to the demolition of the Babri Masjid, he said that there was no pre-planned conspiracy as suggested in the report. It was a “mass movement” that led to the demolition, Mr. Javadekar said.

He also came down strongly on the Trinamool Congress, a former ally of the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance, on the issue of rise in prices of essential commodities.

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