New Delhi: The Centre on June 5 asserted before the Liberhann Commission that Muslims had "deserted" the disputed structure in Ayodhya since 1934 and no prayers were offered by the community after it was completely "abandoned" by them.

"It (disputed structure) was a deserted and abandoned structure because Muslims were not allowed either to go inside it or because of their own fear. They had completely deserted it in 1934 or at least in 1936," Centre's counsel Lala Ram Gupta told the Commission, probing the demolition of disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

He said probably the Muslims were "ousted" from the disputed site.

INCLUDE VIRTUAL="/banner.html"--!--# Maintaining that the idols which were being worshipped in the outer courtyard (Ram Chabutra) of the disputed site were not placed in the disputed structure in 1934 or 1936, the Centre, however, said it was an admitted fact that communal riots occurred during the period and the structure was damaged and the cost of repair was borne by the Hindus.

To a Commission's query that the Muslims have referred to a December 10, 1949 report of a Wakf Inspector to claim the possession of the disputed structure, the Centre's counsel asserted that it (report) could not be taken as evidence.

"This is a report of an employee of a Wakf given to the Wakf and cannot be taken as a word of evidence and hence it was inadmissible," Gupta said.

He elaborated his arguments by referring to another report of Wakf Inspector of December 22, 1949 stating that the report only speaks about the situation on that particular day and not mentions anything about the placing of idols in the disputed structure on December 23.

PTI