Shiv Sena has welcomed the acquittal of 32 defendants associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said Wednesday that both the party and Maharashtra Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray have welcomed the verdict.
Earlier today, a special IWC court in Lucknow ruled that there was no conclusive evidence to show that the demolition of the Ayodhya mosque in 1992 was pre-planned, ruling out a criminal conspiracy to tear down the mosque.
Former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani along with fellow BJP stalwarts Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti, were among those charged in the case.
“We must not forget the incident while the grand Ram Mandir is being built. If the Babri structure had not collapsed, we would not have seen the construction of the Ram temple, ”Raut said, reacting to the verdict.
Former Shiv Sena leader Satish Pradhan, who was then a close associate of Sena founder Bal Thackeray, was also acquitted in the case. Expressing his happiness at the verdict, he said that he was not even present at the scene.
“I had no connection to the demolition as I was not even present at the site. My position has been vindicated and I finally got justice, ”Pradhan said.
The Lucknow court said there was no conclusive evidence against the defendants who also included Vinay Katiyar and Sadhvi Rithambara.
Also read: Babri Masjid demolition verdict: the 32 defendants were acquitted
Previously, LK Advani also welcomed the court’s verdict, saying that he followed in the footsteps of another order that paved the way for his “dream” of seeing a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
“It is a very important decision and a question of happiness for us. When we heard the news of the court order, we received it by chanting Jai Shri Ram, ”Advani said in a video message.
Also read: LK Advani, acquitted in the Babri case, says the ruling vindicates ‘my belief and that of BJP in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement’
After the court verdict, the 92-year-old BJP leader had greeted the media, gathered outside his home, chanting the slogan of “Jai Shri Ram.”
He was seen watching the news at his residence while sitting with his relatives and his daughter Pratibha Advani, who was holding his hand, PTI reported.
.
