New Delhi: The Liberhans Commission on Thursday issued warrants against former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh and said he must appear on August 18 and explain the circumstances leading to demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

The bailable warrants in the sum of Rs 10,000 will not be executed if Singh or his counsel submits an undertaking within a week that he will appear before the commission.

Apart from other witnesses, almost all top officials in Uttar Pradesh have by now appeared or deposed before the commission. They include former chief secretary V K Saxena, two former directors general of police (DGPs)- S V M Tripathi and Prakesh Singh and the then head of state intelligence and additional DGP S N P Sinha.

Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar, who was then Principal Secretary (Home) in Uttar Pradesh, has also appeared twice before the commission. He will appear again now on August 4.

''The absence and non-cooperation of Singh becomes all the more obvious in this context,'' the commission said. ''He has chosen not to appear inspite of having publicly evinced keen interest in the proceedings and having publicly asserted to the media that there was a conspiracy to demolish the disputed structure in Ayodhya.''

The Babri Masjid adjoining the Ram Mandir was pulled down on December 6, 1992.

UNI