Babri Masjid demolition case: BJP leaders LK Advani, MM Joshi and Uma Bharti acquitted
New Delhi:
The 32 defendants in the demolition of Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 were acquitted today, as a Uttar Pradesh court ruled that the demolition was unplanned and involved “antisocial elements.” BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti were cleared of conspiracy charges in a landmark verdict today that has sparked strong reactions across the country.
A trending hashtag on Twitter has been “Nobody Demolished Babri” reminiscent of “Nobody Killed Jessica”, a Hindi film about the high profile murder case of model Jessica Lal in 1999, where a court had previously acquitted his killer.
Several politicians, including actors, tweeted about the verdict that came after 28 years of waiting.
Congress leader Ahmed Patel called the verdict “shocking” and tweeted:
Babri’s verdict is shocking, it goes against the principles of natural justice and even the observation of the CS
– Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) September 30, 2020
Calling it a “complete parody of justice,” leftist leader Sitaram Yechury recalled how a constitutional bench headed by the then Chief Justice had called the demolition “a flagrant violation of the law.”
“A complete parody of Justice. All accused of criminal conspiracy to demolish Babri Masjid acquitted. Did it implode? The CJI-led Constitution Bank had said the demolition was an” egregious “violation of the law. Now this verdict! Yechury tweeted.
Actor Swara Bhasker tweeted in Hindi saying, “The Babri Masjid fell by itself.”
Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani shared a photo from two magazines, then and last year, about Babri Masjid and tweeted: “1992 and 2019 … And in 2020: today no one actually demolished #BabriMasjid. Like Kapil Mishra is actually a great messenger of peace, the demolition of Babri and Rath Yatra was actually just fake news. All media stories before 2014 were fake news, only post-BJP media is true (sic). “
Actress Richa Chaddha tweeted in Hindi: “There is a courtyard above this place, where there is light and not darkness.”
Several others also tweeted against the verdict.
No one demolished Babri Masjid. It collapsed under its own weight. Jai Ho.
– RishiKesh Kumar (@rishikeshlaw) September 30, 2020
Babri Masjid magically fell on its own on December 6, 1992. Nothing else happened. There was no rath yatra (which was followed by massacres wherever it happened), there was no hate speech or call for violence, there was no demolition, and therefore no criminality.
Goodbye democracy
Goodbye rule of law– Hasiba | حسيبة ???? (@HasibaAmin) September 30, 2020
So: NOBODY DEMOLISHED BABRI !!
– Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) September 30, 2020
Over the past 28 years, the case has undergone many changes. Two cases were closed in 1992, eventually reaching 49. The second case, FIR No. 198, had appointed Mr. Advani, Mr. Joshi and Uma Bharti for promoting religious enmity and causing unrest. Subsequently, the Supreme Court requested that the criminal conspiracy charges be reinstated.
The Supreme Court also called it “illegal destruction” and said Muslims had been unjustly deprived of a mosque that was built more than 400 years ago.
“Anti-social elements tore down the structure. The accused leaders tried to arrest these people,” said the special judge, whose term had been extended by this verdict.
The judge also said that the audio and video evidence produced by the CBI did not establish conspiracy charges.
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