The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Tuesday moved the Liberhans Commission seeking summoning of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh in view of his recent allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party's top leaders, including Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy Lal Kishenchand Advani, were involved in the conspiracy to demolish the disputed structure at Ayodhya.
In an application filed through counsel Bahar U Bharqi, the board said Singh being the main witness and the chief minister at the time of the demolition has knowledge of the facts relevant to the commission's inquiry, and therefore he must be examined.
The plea is likely to be taken up for hearing on July 10.
The board also pointed to the Centre's reported stand holding the former chief minister guilty of failing in his duty to protect the disputed structure.
Singh has resisted coming before the commission on the ground that his submission might be used against him in the Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the demolition.
He had filed a writ petition against his summoning in the Delhi high court, which was dismissed as infructuous on April 1 last after the commission closed recording of evidence.
The commission maintains that if Singh chooses not to depose, 'appropriate inference would be drawn in the report'.
Only Monday Mohammed Aslam alias Bhure, on whose petition the Supreme Court had banned all religious activity on the 67 acres of acquired land adjacent to the disputed site, had sought summoning of Vajpayee, Advani and Singh.
Press Trust of India