LK Advani was acquitted of conspiracy charges in the demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992
New Delhi:
BJP stalwart LK Advani, acquitted of conspiracy charges in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition, said today that the sentence vindicates his and BJP’s belief and commitment to the Ram temple movement. He also said that he had chanted “Jai Shri Ram” after the verdict, describing it as a “moment of happiness for all of us.”
“The judgment vindicates my personal and BJP belief and commitment to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. I also feel blessed that this judgment followed in the footsteps of another landmark Supreme Court verdict in November 2019, which paved the way for me. long The long-awaited dream of seeing a great Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, whose foundation-laying ceremony was held on August 5, “Advani, 92, said in a statement.
He said he “wholeheartedly welcomed the meaningful judgment.” He added: “Along with millions of my compatriots, I now look forward to the completion of the beautiful Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.”
A special CBI court in Lucknow, which acquitted all 32 defendants in the case, including Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh, of conspiracy charges, said the Babri Mosque on December 6 1992 was not planned.
“Anti-social elements tore down the structure. The defendants tried to stop the demolition,” said CBI special judge SK Yadav, saying that the audio and video evidence produced by the CBI did not establish the charges against the leaders.
In the months leading up to the cataclysmic event, Advani pulled Rath Yatras across the country to launch a Ram temple on the mosque site, a campaign that catapulted the BJP onto the national stage.
In a landmark ruling in November last year, the Supreme Court handed over the site claimed by Hindus and Muslims for the construction of a Ram temple. The opening ceremony took place earlier this year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing rituals.
Mr. Advani recorded his statement before the CBI special court via video conference on July 24. 100 questions were asked. Both he and Joshi denied all the charges against them.
In an interview with NDTV in 2000, Advani described the demolition of the Babri mosque as a “terrible mistake” and said: “Until today, frankly, I don’t know if it was the fury of the mob, a mob that got out of control or a small group that did not agree with the leadership of the movement that thought this should be done, I am not clear. “
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