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Babri report: ATR doesn't suggest punitive action
NDTV Correspondent, Tuesday November 24, 2009, New Delhi

The Liberhan Commission Report on the Babri mosque demolition has been tabled (Download: Full report) after 17 years in Parliament. Discussion on the report will be taken up in both Houses on December 1.

Home Minister P Chidambaram tabled the report along with the government's Action Taken Report (ATR), and the question now: will there be any punitive action based on the report?

The Liberhan Report holds 68 people, including former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, responsible for "bringing the country to the brink of communal discord." (Read: Atal among 68 blamed for communal discord)

The government's ATR does not recommend any punitive action against these 68 persons, in fact, it doesn't single any of them out. The Law Minister says the Liberhan Commission was a fact-finding commission and has told NDTV to expect follow-up action based on the commission's conclusions. (Read & Watch: Law Minister to NDTV)

The ATR also says the government is contemplating a bill to check communal violence. The Liberhan Commission calls for a special separate law providing for punishment for misusing religion to acquire political power. (Read: Govt contemplating Bill to check communal violence)

Apart from the general recommendations, the ATR makes note of the commission's suggestions on civil services, riot control, intelligence agencies, Centre-state relations, religious and cultural sites and the Press and lists action take on these. (Read: Govt's Action Take Report).

On Tuesday morning, there were unruly scenes in the Rajya Sabha immediately after the home minister tabled the report. BJP leaders raised slogans, members rushed into the well of the House. There was a scuffle between BJP and Samajwadi Party members and the Upper House was adjourned. (Read & Watch: Govt, BJP, SP apologise for scuffle in Parliament)

On Monday, NDTV had reported exclusively on the contents of that report which indicts the top rung of the BJP for the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992.

The fact that the media had access to the report before it was shared in Parliament led to the entire Opposition uniting to declare this was a breach of protocol. The Home Minister said that there are two copies of the report, one is with the government, and that nobody in his Ministry leaked the Liberhan Report to the press. (Read: I'd be a foolish man to leak it: Chidambaram)

The report describes the demolition as "a tailor-made exercise" fuelled and executed by the BJP. The report slams the then UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh in particular, accusing him of lulling his administration into "ineffectiveness" till the demolition was completed.
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Posted by ejaz ahmad mallick on Nov 25, 2009
hi i belong to patna,at the time of babri masjid demolisation i was small , i remember was studied in std 2. it was horrable situation in whole india.what they get to do this i think they loose nothing but the gain of power but we people loose brotherhood which was very old in india to live together hindu muslim without any problem .crime is crime even which who commit politician if donot take action against those people who devide our nation in the name of religion, they sit on the chair of prime minister in the cost of thousand innocent blood.where is humanity ,is this human being. now its very clear proof to punish him, please safe the indian democracy,safe the brotherhood then we achieved the target to bring our nation great
Posted by IndianCitizen on Nov 24, 2009
Although the report just mentions what people of India already knew long back, I think that the commission has rightly not recommended any punitive actions. I personally am a great admirer of our ex PM Mr. Vajpayee, but I condemn violence in any form. This matter is very sensitive and can spark communal violence if not dealt properly. I think it is right for Govt of India to come up with a law against using communal violance and carry on with other reforms. But at the same time all social parties involved (Citizens of India, Govt, media..) should not try to exploit the matter for their own benifits(like leaking report to the media). I feel the Country is moving in the right direction and we should all be proud of that (specially with unstable neighbours).
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