No extension to Liberhan Commission: Govt

The government today indicated that the Liberhan Commission probing the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya will not be given any more extensions and that its report will be tabled in the Lok Sabha latest by December 31, 2006.

The assurance was given by Home Minister Shivraj Patil in the Lok Sabha today. The matter was raised by Devendra Prasad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, who said the commission had had nearly 14 years in which to apportion blame for the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.

"It has been nearly 14 years and it is high time that the report of the commission be tabled in Parliament," said Yadav.

Many members associated themselves with this demand, including CPM member Mohammad Salim, who said there was no difference between the NDA and UPA governments when it came to meting out justice in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Shivraj Patil said the commission's report had been delayed for several reasons including the fact that many witnesses went to court to prevent themselves from being summoned by the commission.

"We have been informally told, however, that the report will be tabled before December 31, 2006, thus there is no question of an extension to be given to the commission," said Patil.