Kalyan testifies before Liberhan panel under oath

In the season of affidavits, one given by former UP CM and BJP leader Kalyan Singh to the Liberhan Commission has created much curiosity.Tak...

In the season of affidavits, one given by former UP CM and BJP leader Kalyan Singh to the Liberhan Commission has created much curiosity.

Taking everyone by surprise, Singh, who had refused to testify ever since the panel was set up in 1993, even getting a stay order to avoid appearing, has now done so under oath. By submitting a written affidavit, he is liable for prosecution for perjury and lying, as his statements are bound by oath.

Sources say it is for this reason that Singh was ‘‘coerced’’ by his party to submit an

affidavit to tell his side of the story, one from which he can never retract. This should come as a relief to his senior party colleagues, former PM A.B. Vajpayee, former Home minister L.K. Advani, HRD minister M.M. Joshi, and the Sangh Parivar leadership.

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Two years ago, on June 20, 2003, Singh publicly hit out at Vajpayee, Advani and Joshi, saying the Babri Masjid was destroyed on the instructions of senior BJP leaders and the Sangh Parivar, all of whom ‘‘were part of the conspiracy to destroy the mosque in December 1992’’. Singh was then reacting to the Vajpayee government’s deposition which put the blame squarely on him when its counsel said Singh, as CM, had failed to deploy Central troops to protect the mosque.

Singh’s outburst was seen as a desperate attempt to protect himself — he was no longer CM, and he had quit the BJP. However, six months later, the way was paved for Singh’s return to the party, and he returned to the fold in January 2004. Despite his return, the relationship between Singh and his party leaders has been underlined with mutual suspicion and fear, say sources.

In December 2004, Singh finally agreed to depose before the Commission saying the Delhi High Court had dismissed his writ petition, which had so far exempted him from appearing before the Commission. However, legal sources say the Delhi HC had dismissed the petition on technical grounds (non-appearance of his counsel), and Singh could have appealed again to avoid appearing before the Commission.