After months of delay, the United Progressive Alliance government Wednesday filed its final written submission before the Liberhan Commission accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena of having "collaborated and connived" to demolish the disputed structure at Ayodhya in a well-planned manner.
"From the records it is apparently clear that the demolition was clearly an act of conspiracy between the state government held by the then chief minister Kalyan Singh, his Cabinet colleagues, various prominent leaders of BJP and Sangh Parivar including RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Dharam Sansad etc," the Centre said.
Prominent BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders accused of "acting in collusion and conspiracy" include Lal Kishenchand Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, K S Sudarshan, Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Ritambhara.
Several senior officials of the state government have also been named. The UPA government's submission is in sharp contrast to that of its predecessor National Democratic Alliance, which had told the commission that the demolition was a result of a sudden uncontrollable upsurge of kar sevaks present at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, and no individual or group was responsible for it.
The 246-page submission, supported by 149 pages of annexure, was filed 23 days after the commission closed arguments following Centre's failure to come out with its written response despite several opportunities given to it.
Commission Chairman Justice M S Liberhan adjourned the hearing to May 1 to enable counsel for other parties to file their objections and hear the Centre's plea for condonation of delay in filing the document.
After deciding if the Centre's final submission was to be taken on record, the commission will hold a sitting on May 10 to hear its counsel Anupam Gupta on the issues before it.
Thereafter, the commission is likely to finalise its report on the sequence of events leading to the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya.
Describing the demolition as "an act of national shame", the Centre said, "what was demolished was not merely an ancient structure but the faith of the minorities in the sense of justice and fair play of the majority. A 500-year-old structure which was defenceless and whose safety was a sacred trust in the hands of the state government was demolished," it said.
Terming the demolition a "well-planned conspiracy", the UPA government said it started in 1989, when BJP and the Sangh Parivar lent support to the construction of the Ram temple and the Palampur Resolution was passed by the saffron party wherein they (BJP) resolved to remove all obstacles to the construction of the temple.
"The conspiracy went on when a political twist was given to the issue of construction of Ram temple by adopting an election manifesto in 1991 by BJP," the Centre added.
It said conspiracy was further established with Kalyan Singh's media statement made in 2003 when he "admitted" there was a plot to demolish the structure between A B Vajpayee, Advani and Joshi, although he later "made a vain attempt to wriggle out of the same", by saying the statement might have been made "by way of furious reaction".
"During the span of full five hours (when demolition was on), the state administration remained a mock spectator of the the operation," the Centre said.
"Dogged refusal to deploy the said force (paramilitary) inspite of several requests from the Union government shows the failure to take this step was a part of the conspiracy and criminal design," it said.
When the actual demolition began, "no recourse was initiated by use of such minimum force which was required under law and which should have been adhered to so as to block the free flow of kar sevaks towards the disputed structure".
The Centre also charged UP as having been "unable" to stop construction work despite assurances to this effect.
"The UP government had repeatedly given assurances on the security of the structure as well on the implementation of court orders. However, the state government was unable to stop the construction work," the Centre said, despite having impressed upon the state the necessity to stop this work.
"In July 1992, construction by way of kar seva was started on a part of the acquired land despite court orders to the contrary. A situation came about in which the prime minister had to intervene in the matter. Subsequently, the kar seva was called off on July 26, 1992," the Centre added.
Regarding the dispute over land acquisition around the site, it said, "On one hand, the government was trying to resolve the issue, while BJP, RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and Sangh Parivar were busy in construction of the temple."
The government of UP had acquired 2.77 acres of land in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid complex, showing ostensible purpose of acquisition in the notification as "development of tourism and providing amenities to pilgrims".
More from rediff