Rao may depose before Ayodhya panel today

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, FEB. 18. With the former Prime Minister, Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao, a key witness, expected to depose tomorrow, the proceeding before the Justice Liberhan Commission, probing the Ayodhya case, enters a crucial stage.

Mr. Rao's testimony before the Commission assumes significance in the light of the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr. Jyoti Basu's charge that Mr. Rao did not take effective steps to prevent the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992.

Mr. Basu had told the Commission last month that if only the Rao Government had clamped emergency and invoked Article 356 of the Constitution to dismiss the Kalyan Singh Government, the kar sevaks could have been prevented from entering the disputed area. Despite prior warning, Mr. Rao had failed to take preventive steps, he alleged.

Noted Gandhian, Ms. Nirmala Deshpande had also told the Commission that the ``demolition was pre-meditated and well- planned and that the Kalyan Singh administration and the local police connived with the kar sevaks in bringing down the Babri Masjid''.

Mr. Narasimha Rao is expected to tell the Commission the steps taken by the Centre to protect the Masjid and at the same time to allow kar seva by the devotees and also to reply to the allegations of Mr. Basu and others.

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