NEW DELHI - Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram refused to comment on Justice M.S. Liberhan commission report on Babri mosque demolition in Uttar Pradesh.

“Justice Liberhan has submitted his report to the Prime Minister this morning. I believe that the report will be forwarded to the ministry during the course of day. Since I have not read the report then nothing further I am going to say,” Chidambaram said.

The contents of the report were not immediately known.

Established on December 16, 1992, ten days after the demolition of historical mosque, the panel headed by retired Justice M S Liberhan, got 48 extensions.

The probe panel, which took almost 17 years, has become one of the longest and costliest commissions with over Rs.7.5 crore having been already spent during this period.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party said that the delay in submitting the report was not in the interest of the nation.

“We heard that Liberhan has submitted its report to the Prime Minister…but I am not aware of the findings of the report so I am unable to make any comments… It would have been good if such a long time had not been taken. It took 17 years for the Commission to submit its report. There should not have been such a long delay in such a sensitive matter. This is not in the country’s interest,” said BJP President Rajnath Singh on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, All India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC), a Muslim organization founded to defend the Babri mosque, accused the Congress Party of intentionally delaying commission’s report.

“The report was ready three years back…according to my knowledge all the documents were finalised and ready…and he (Liberhan) was about to submit the report but he was stopped…and the delay was intentionally caused because of political reasons, ” Zafaryab Geelani, All India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC). (ANI)