Observing that BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not a culprit in the demolition of the Babri mosque, CPI leader A B Bardhan on Tuesday said former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao also could not be exonerated on the issue.
"By 12-o-clock, Rao knew everything on the demolition of the Babri Masjid and he was sleeping. He cannot be exonerated," Bardhan said.
He claimed it was a 'major lacuna' on the part of the Liberhan Commission not to indict the Narasimha government and should be 'corrected'.
Speaking about Vajpayee, he told reporters "I do not think Vajpayee was a culprit. This is my personal view. I have not seen what is written in the report. But I hope Vajpayee was not a culprit."
Noting that while senior BJP leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti were seen celebrating after the demolition, Bardhan said Vajpayee was not among them.
He said some BJP leaders were even shown on television chanting, "Ek dhakka aur do, Babri masjid gira do."