Punish those who mix politics with religion: Liberhan

The Liberhan Commission that probed the Babri Masjid demolition on Tuesday came down heavily on mixing politics and religion and has recommended a law providing for exemplary punishment for such misuse to acquire political power.

The voluminous report of the Commission, which was submitted in June 17 years after it was set up under chairmanship of Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan, was tabled in both Houses of Parliament by the home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram.

The 13-page Action Taken Report (ATR), tabled by the home minister, said the government accepted the recommendation and is contemplating enactment of the Communal Violence Bill to prevent and control riots and setting up special courts to deal with them.

The ATR makes no reference to the indictment of top BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh and leaders of various Sangh Parivar outfits made in the report.

The Commission was constituted ten days after the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

The Commission said the Constitutional scheme to separate religion from politics was intended to insulate issues of governance from those of theology.

The Commission said "while it may be useful and indeed desirable to import certain aspects of ethics and morality into the political arena, the use of religion, caste or regionalism is a regressive and dangerous trend capable of alienating people and dividing them into small sections."

Justice Liberhan said the events of December 6, 1992, and the many subsequent events have already shown to the nation the danger and the disruptive potential of allowing the inter-mixing of religion and politics.

He said the extraneous interference in democratic affairs for acquiring political power through criminalisation of political office or mixing of political and religious affairs has become the order of the day.

"A separate law providing for exemplary punishment for misuse of religion, caste, etc. for political gains or illicit acquisition of political or other power ought to be enacted.

"Regional tribunals for ensuring swift prosecution and effective implementation of the law ought to be set up in the four corners of the country," the report said.

The ATR said it accepted the recommendation and one of the measures contemplated is the Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims), which envisions the setting up of Special Courts.

As regards cases arising out of Babri Masjid demolition, the ATR refers to cases filed against eight accused and 47 other cases in a special court in Rae Bareli, and case against unknown 'kar sewaks'. Steps will be taken to expedite the hearing of these cases, it said.