LK Advani, 92, and MM Joshi, 86, have reportedly requested an exemption. (File)
New Delhi:
The verdict in the 28-year-old case concerning the demolition of Babri Masjid, which stood at the Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya, will be delivered today by a special court in Lucknow. The 1992 demolition – preceded by a series of rath yatras by the BJP’s LK Advani – claimed the lives of around 3,000 people and changed the country’s political landscape. The accused in the case includes senior leaders of the ruling BJP – the founding members of the party, Mr. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, former ministers Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh. But none of the four high-profile defendants will be present in court. Mr. Advani, 92, and Mr. Joshi, 86, are exempt from attending for health reasons. Uma Bharti has contracted coronavirus and Kalyan Singh is recovering from it.
Here are the 10 main points of the story:
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LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh – who are among the 32 surviving defendants in the case – face charges of criminal conspiracy and promoting enmity. The court, which has asked all defendants to be present, must 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 on the platform near the mosque at the time of the demolition on December 6, 1992. The investigating agencies said they incited the crowd with their speeches.
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The main BJP leader, Kalyan Singh, was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh at the time of the demolition. His government was removed from office 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 to a Uttarakhand hospital after contracting COVID-19, wrote to BJP chief JP Nadda, saying she would not seek bail if she was doomed in this case.
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Mr Advani had recorded his statement in the CBI Special Court via video conference on July 24. The special judge asked him 100 questions. Mr. Joshi recorded his statement a day before Mr. Advani. Both have denied all charges against them.
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Over the past 28 years, the case has taken a tortuous path. Of the first two cases filed in 1992, the number increased to 49. The second case, FIR No. 198, named Mr. Advani, Mr. Joshi and Uma Bharti, accusing them of promoting religious enmity and provocation to riot.
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In 1993, the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a single indictment against 48 people, of whom Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and Kalyan Singh were also included.
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The cases against Mr. Advani, Mr. Joshi and Uma Bharti have been moved from Lalitpur to Rae Bareli in Lucknow. The latest change came after an order from the Supreme Court, which also called for the criminal conspiracy charges – dropped by the CBI and quashed by the Allahabad High Court – to be reinstated against them.
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In April 2017, the Supreme Court asked the Lucknow Special Court to complete the trial within two years with daily hearings. He was later granted several extensions and when Special Judge SK Yadav asked for more time, the court extended the deadline until September 30.
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The 15th-century mosque was said to have been built by Mughal Emperor Babar after demolishing an ancient temple that marked Lord Ram’s birthplace in Ayodhya. In a landmark verdict in November, the Supreme Court ordered the construction of a temple at the site. The inauguration ceremony took place earlier this year in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated.
