The BJP has finally put the shadow of December 6, 1992, Babri masjid demolition behind it with the special CBI court acquitting all 32 accused in the case, including veteran leaders L.K. Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh. Special CBI judge Surendra Kumar Yadav said that the CBI could not put credible evidence on record to prove that the demolition was pre-planned, thereby failing to show any criminal conspiracy – one of the main charges against the accused. Both, Advani, 92, and Joshi, 86, expressed their happiness over the decision and termed it historic.
Even the events of that day were historic as they paved the way for construction of the grand Ram temple -- an issue that has been the mainstay of BJP’s Hindutva ideology since Advani’s rath yatra in September 1990, and something that changed the course of the saffron party, propelling it to its present position of strength. The verdict today is a culmination of the cycle that began with the demolition of the three domes of the medieval mosque 28 years ago.
The Supreme Court, on November 9, 2019, had already awarded the Ramjanmabhoomi site to the Hindu claimants, allowing for the construction of the Ram temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the ‘bhoomi pujan’ at a glittering ceremony on August 5, along with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath. To ensure the completion of the temple before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has stepped-up on the construction.
“Now that things have come a full circle with the verdict today, we can go ahead with the temple construction without any negativity looming in the shadows. It has been proven that the BJP did not indulge in any unlawful activities to get what rightfully belongs to all the Hindus of the world. We stand vindicated,” says an exultant BJP leader.
The CBI court has also acquitted the leaders of charges of unlawful assembly and making provocative speeches, stating the CBI could not produce negatives of photographs put on record and the videos they submitted were tampered with. In fact, the court said, it appears that the accused tried to stop the unlawful mob from pulling down the domes. This is in keeping with stand, which Advani has always maintained – that he tried to calm the hysterical kar sevaks.
Incidentally, most of the BJP top brass preferred to downplay the verdict, desisting from making any public statements. There were no tweets or messages from either the PM nor home minister Amit Shah. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad went to meet Advani following the verdict. Leaders like Rajnath Singh, Prakash Javadekar and Sushil Kumar Modi welcomed the Lucknow special court decision. Sushil Modi tweeted:
“I was witness to the entire incident of 6th Dec. It was all spontaneous no conspiracy. I was conducting the meeting from dais I was surprised when some Kar Sewaks climbed Babri str. Advaniji was unhappy. Satyamev Jayate.”
While Advani expressed happiness over the decision, Joshi said it is victory of truth after painstaking investigations by the CBI that recorded statements of hundreds of witnesses. “Jai jai Siya Ram. Sabko Sanmati de bhagwan,” concludes Joshi.
