What a 'LOVELY' Justice ! With You Babri Masjid !

What a 'LOVELY' Justice ! With You Babri Masjid ! -Dr.M.K. Sherwani

www.hindustantimes. com(India) 25.2.08

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The Liberhan Commission that was set up to fund outthe truth behind the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992needs more time to wrap up its report.

The one-man commission comprising the former chiefjustice of the Madras High Court, Justice (retd) MSLiberhan, has asked the Home Ministry for anotherextension to be able to submit its report on itsfive-point terms of reference.

"The government has received another request for anextension from the commission," a senior home ministryofficial told HT. "It has promised to submit itsreport this time," the official said but was quick toadd that this wasn't the first time that such anassurance was being given.

The commission was set up in 1992 by former primeminister PV Narasimha Rao within weeks of thedemolition of the mosque.

The panel had been originally tasked to submit itsreport within three months.

But that was 15 years ago.

The commission has since been allowed over 42extensions, turning it into the longest inquiry conducted by any commission in the country.

The inquiry has already cost the public exchequernearly Rs 720 lakh.

On the other hand, the Srikrishna Commission thatprobed the riots following the Mumbai bomb blasts in1993, did its job in five years.

The ministry is yet to take a decision to extend theLiberhan Commission's tenure but officials contend ithardly has a choice. "If the government does notextend the tenure, the commission would wind upwithout submitting a report and leave the governmentopen to the charge of not just burying the truth butalso wasting public funds," the home ministry officialsaid.