Indian American Muslim group demands immediate civil and criminal action against all accused in the Liberhan Report

Indian Muslim Council-USA (http://www.imc-usa.org), an advocacy group dedicated towards safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, has demands the Indian government to bring the criminals to justice involved in the demolition of the 16th century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in the State of Uttar Pradesh as identified in the Report of the Liberhan Commission of Inquiry…

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July 20, 2022

Indian Muslim Council-USA (http://www.imc-usa.org), an advocacy group dedicated towards safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, has demands the Indian government to bring the criminals to justice involved in the demolition of the 16th century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in the State of Uttar Pradesh as identified in the Report of the Liberhan Commission of Inquiry that was released recently.

In a statement issued on December 6, marking the 17th anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid, Indian Muslim Council-USA further demanded that the Indian government honour the promise given by the former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao to re-build the mosque on its original site.

On December 6, 1992, defying the orders of the Supreme Court of India and their own promise to the nation, the Hindutva fascist forces demolished the historic Babri Mosque in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This 16th century Muslim place of worship was destroyed by a frenzied mob of kar-sevaks in spite of assurances from the Hindutva leaders and the State Administration officials that only symbolic prayers will be performed and that the structure of the Babri Mosque will be safe.

The Liberhan Commission appointed by the Indian government to investigate the destruction of the Babri Mosque submitted the report earlier this year that took about 17 years of proceedings and recording statements of politicians, bureaucrats and police officials. Led by Indian Supreme Court Judge M S Liberhan, the commission key identified individuals and organisations who played a direct role in planning what the commission termed as a “joint common enterprise” that led to the destruction of the Babri Mosque.

“The Liberhan report is another testimony to the sad state of communal affairs in India and a clear verdict on deep seated resistance towards speaking the truth,” said Rasheed Ahmed National President of IMC-USA. Ahmed further stated, “It took 17 years to document the two obvious facts, first that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was a premeditated criminal act by Hindutva leaders and second that BJP is simply a means for RSS to impose fascist regime in India.”

Liberhan Commission named 68 individuals as the leading planners and participants directly or indirectly involved in the destruction of the Babri Mosque. Most of the perpetrators listed in the Commission report are associated with Hindutva-fascist groups such as the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, all of whom are closely allied with the political Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP, in alliance with several other parties, was in power from 1998 to 2004. These religious extremist groups garner significant support from Non-Resident Indians living in the United States.

Dr. Hyder Khan, National Vice President of IMC-USA said, “I am hopeful that current leadership in India will take moral and bold decisions to check the criminalisation of politics through regional tribunals as proposed by the Liberhan Commission and not allow the Hindutva extremist groups propagate intolerant agenda and sectarianism.”

After 17 years the Muslims of India who still feel aggrieved at the criminal destruction of the mosque demand that Indian Government immediately initiate criminal and civil action against all accused in the Liberhan Report and that all politicians, individuals, and organisations involved in the crime are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.