Liberhan report trips on conspiracy theory

Beginning Monday, the Lok Sabha will debate for two days — to be followed by the Rajya Sabha — the Justice Liberhan report that took 17 years to investigate the reasons for the Babri Masjid demolition, but has finally produced several factual errors and no surprises in its findings, reports Nagendar Sharma.

Beginning Monday, the Lok Sabha will debate for two days — to be followed by the Rajya Sabha — the Justice Liberhan report that took 17 years to investigate the reasons for the Babri Masjid demolition, but has finally produced several factual errors and no surprises in its findings.

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Justice Liberhan has even contradicted himself on whether the destruction was a planned conspiracy.

In the chapter titled Conclusions on page 917, he has said that the demolition was neither spontaneous nor voluntary.

“Prognosis of evidence leads to the conclusion that the mobilisation of karsewaks and their convergence to Ayodhya was neither spontaneous nor voluntary. It was well orchestrated and planned.”

However, in the introduction of the report, on page 15, Justice Liberhan has slammed Muslim organisations for their failure to provide any direct evidence about the conspiracy.

“No evidence was lead or information provided to the Commission with respect to the conspiracy or pre-planning or the joint common enterprise by any of these counsels (representing the Muslim organisations),” the former high court judge wrote.

In the chapter titled Secularism, on page 878, he mentions “Dr Abdul Kalam Azad, the former president of India observed....”.

Justice Liberhan has not made it clear if he was referring to former president Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam or to the country’s first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.