M A I N   N E W S

Kalyan appears before Liberhan Commission
Our Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, September 23
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, whose evidence could be crucial in probing the demolition of Babri Masjid, today made his first appearance before the Liberhan Commission after he had contested issue of summons to him by the panel during the past 10 years.

Mr Kalyan Singh, who was heading the BJP government when the Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992, made a surprise appearance before Justice M. S. Liberhan, heading the one-man commission after the panel had issued “bailable” warrants against him.

Mr Kalyan Singh’s counsel B. B. Saxena, however, sought adjournment of the proceedings by the commission stating that the Delhi High Court has yet to decide his petition challenging the issue of summons to him by the panel.

The High Court, while fixing further hearing on his petition for October 17, had last week directed the former Chief Minister to approach the commission for deferring further proceedings relating to the recording of his statement by it instead of seeking a stay by the court.

Justice Liberhan accepted the plea of Kalyan Singh’s counsel in view of the High Court’s directive and fixed October 28 and 29 for recording his statement as a panel’s witness.

Mr Kalyan Singh, who was sacked from BJP about three years ago for anti-party activities, had joined hands with the Opposition and played a crucial role in forming the Mulayam Singh government in Uttar Pradesh recently.

After coming out of the commission’s office at Vigyan Bhavan here, he refrained from speaking his mind out whether he was now willing to depose before the commission and had changed his earlier stance not to record his statement.

“My future course would depend upon the outcome of my petition before the Delhi High Court,” he said.

Mr Kalyan Singh’s deposition before the commission is considered to be “very crucial” as he a few months ago had accused Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani, Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and several other top Sangh Parivar leaders of hatching a conspiracy to demolish the mosque.

It was after his public utterances, that the commission had issued fresh summons to him following an application by the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, which had pleaded for his examination in the changed circumstances.