New Delhi, November 24: As a political storm engulfed Parliament over “leakage” of the Liberhan Commission report on the Babri mosque demolition, some Muslim clerics and leaders on Monday demanded that the long pending truth behind the “unfortunate” incident should be made public officially and the culprits punished.
Seeking action against those involved in the demolition of the 16th century Babri Masjid, Maulana Niyaz Ahmed Farooqi of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, one of the leading organisations of Muslim clerics, said there was no reason why the government should not table the probe report. “Seventeen years of wait, 48 extensions and crores of rupees, for what?” Farooqi asked.
He said it was the job of Justice (retd) MS Liberhan to identify the culprits. “But for us those who are hiding the truth and are reluctant to table the report are equally involved in the unfortunate incident,” Farooqi said.
“This is a long struggle of 17 years, a struggle based on principles. We don’t know who the real culprits are and who planned the martyrdom of the Babri Masjid. But irrespective of that, there is no reason why the truth should not be made public officially and the culprits punished,” he said.
Politician and former MP Shahid Siddiqui, who is also editor of Urdu daily Nai Duniya, said the leakage of the report was “surprising and aimed to diminish its impact”.
–Agencies