Babri Masjid demolition case verdict today, Uma, Advani, Joshi to skip court

New Delhi: The verdict in the 28-year-old case involving the demolition of Babri Masjid, which stood at the Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya, will be pronounced today by a special court in Lucknow. The 1992 demolition — preceded by a series of rath yatras by the BJP’s LK Advani — had cost around 3,000 lives and changed the country’s political landscape. The accused in the case include senior leaders of the ruling BJP – the party’s founder-members Mr Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, former ministers Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh. But none of the four high-profile accused will be present in court. Mr Advani, 92, and Mr Joshi, 86, are exempted from attending on health grounds. Uma Bharti has contracted coronavirus and Kalyan Singh is recuperating from it. LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh – who are among the 32 surviving accused in the case — are facing charges of criminal conspiracy and promoting enmity. The court, which has asked all the accused to be present, has to decide whether they and the others conspired and instigated thousands of activists to bring down the mosque on December 6, 1992.

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Mr Advani, Mr Joshi and Uma Bharti were allegedly on the dais near the mosque at the time of the demolition on December 6, 1992. The investigating agencies said they instigated the crowd with their speeches.

Senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh at the time of the demolition. His government was dismissed as riots broke out across the country, in which around 3,000 people died.

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Former Union minister Uma Bharti, who is admitted in a hospital in Uttarakhand after contracting COVID-19, has written to BJP chief JP Nadda, saying she will not seek bail if she is convicted in the case.

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Mr Advani had recorded his statement before the special CBI court through video conference on July 24. He was asked 100 questions by the special judge. Mr Joshi recorded his statement a day before Mr Advani. Both have denied all charges against them.

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