Terming the United Progressive Alliance government's response to the Liberhan Commission inquiring the Babri Masjid demolition as 'politically motivated drama,' the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday charged that it has been deliberately enacted on the eve of assembly elections to gain political mileage.
The UPA government's written submission to the Commission accused the BJP along with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bajrang Dal and the Shiv Sena of having 'collaborated and connived to demolish the disputed structure at Ayodhya in a well-planned manner'
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said, "It (Centre's submission) proves the political intention of the UPA government, which wants to keep the issue alive by resorting to falsehood." He pointed out that the submission has been filed 23 days after the Commission closed its arguments.
The BJP is agitated over the Centre's submission that has named senior BJP leaders like L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar and expelled leader Uma Bharti for 'acting in collusion and conspiracy.'
The submission, which ran into 246 pages and 149 pages of annexure, has also named RSS and Sangh Pariwar senior leaders like K S Sudarshan, Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, and Sadhvi Ritambhara.
The spokesman questioned the timing of filing the reply and said that the latest act of the Centre is one of the many examples where the present government had resorted to such political gimmicks just before the elections.
In a sharp contrast to the NDA government's earlier report before the Commission stating that the destruction of disputed structure in Ayodhya was a fallout of instant mass outrage, the UPA government in its recent reply have stated that the leaders of BJP and Sangh Parivar demolished the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 in a well-planned manner.
Stating that the UPA government has not brought forward any new evidence to the contrary but has resorted to political rhetoric, he said, "The UPA government should have borne in mind that political views and parties may be different but governance is a continuous process and as such should not be used for political expediency."
He charged the UPA government of trying to influence the Ayodhya issue earlier also in August last year when it questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation director U S Mishra as to why and how no appeal was filed against BJP leader L K Advani's discharge in the case related to inflammatory speeches leading to Babri demolition.
Before that in December 2004, the prime minister's office had tried to arm twist the CBI in the Ayodhya case through joint secretary Pulok Chaterjee. "Such direct inquisition by the government is unprecedented. The UPA is charged of working through a political agenda," he said.
