Babri demolition meticulously planned, some of the 32 categorically took responsibility: Justice Liberhan

Uma Bharti categorically claimed responsibility… now, if the judge says she is not responsible, what can I do," Liberhan said

Contrary to the findings of a 2009 Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan Commission, which called the razing down of the Babri Masjid a result of "great painstaking preparation and pre-planning," a CBI special court on Wednesday acquitted all 32 accused in the Babri mosque demolition case.

“I found it was a civil conspiracy, I still believe in it. From all the evidence produced before me, it was clear that the Babri Masjid demolition was meticulously planned… I remember Uma Bharti categorically took responsibility for it. It was not an unseen force that demolished the mosque, human beings did it,” Justice MS Liberhan told The Indian Express.

The Commission had rejected the theory that it was a spontaneous act by ‘karsevaks’ whereas the CBI court has ruled that there was no evidence that demolition was a criminal conspiracy.

Headed by Liberhan, the commission was set up on December 16, 1992, to "ascertain only the events, facts and circumstances leading up to the demolition of the structure at Ayodhya and certain connected matters".

Also read: Timeline of the Babri Masjid demolition case

“My findings were correct, right, honest, and free from fear or any other bias... For posterity, it is a report that will provide an honest account of what took place and how. It will be part of history,” Justice Liberhan said.

The panel had submitted its report 17 years later after examining over 100 witnesses. In its report, the commission had blamed the Sangh Pariwar and the RSS of financing and executing the demolition of the disputed structure.

"The theory or the claim made by the leaders of the movement or the icons, from political or social organisations, does not carry conviction to conclude that the demolition was carried out by the karsevaks spontaneously out of sheer anger or emotions," the report said.

The special CBI court in Lucknow on September 30, acquitted all the accused in the case, including BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, in the absence of conclusive proof to suggest a criminal conspiracy.

Refusing to comment on the judgement, Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan told The Indian Express, “I will not comment on the judge or the court or the CBI investigation. I believe everyone does his job honestly. The court has the right to differ, there can be no dispute about its power or working." He, however, added that some may have had a pious intent, “but for politicians, it was one of the most important means to generate votes in their favour.”

Also read: Babri Masjid demolition case verdict: What happened inside the court

“All of them, Advani, Vajpayee, appeared before me, and what I found, I presented in my report, but they can’t be a witness against themselves… Some of them took responsibility for the demolition. Uma Bharti categorically claimed responsibility… now, if the judge says she is not responsible, what can I do… From the evidence presented before me and the accounts of witnesses, not just me, anybody could have reasonably concluded that it was a premeditated action,” he said.

The commission, which continued its work during Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, said it was evident that in order to support the prerequisites for such a movement, the finances required were channelled from the coffers of the various Sangh Parivar organisations through various banks to accounts held in the names of various organisations and individuals.

One of the longest-running inquiry commissions, it was supposed to submit its findings within three months but took 17 years with 48 extensions spending about Rs 8 crore on salaries and perks of support staff.

The Commission submitted its report to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on June 30, 2009.

(With agency inputs)