A B Vajpayee and L K Advani head a list of 68 leaders of the Sangh Parivaar and bureaucrats held culpable by the Liberhan Commission for leading the country to the "brink of communal discord" over the Ayodhya issue.
In his nearly 1,000-page report, former Madras High Court Chief Justice M S Liberhan, who conducted an inquiry into the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya 17 years ago, has also indicted other senior BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and top brass of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) like Giriraj Kishore and Ashok Singhal.
The Commission has held that Vajpayee, Advani and Joshi, whom it calls "pseudo-moderate" leadership of the BJP, were party to the decisions of the Sangh Parivaar to demolish the 16th century structure in Ayodhya.
In a scathing indictment, the Commission said these leaders cannot be given the benefit of the doubt and exonerated of culpability.
"They have violated the trust of the people.....There can be no greater betrayal or crime in a democracy and this Commission has no hesitation in condemning these pseudo-moderates for their sins of omission," the report said.