NEW DELHI/RAE BARELI, 29 July 2005 — Indian opposition leader and BJP President L.K. Advani and seven others were charged yesterday with inciting religious riots that triggered the razing of the Babri Mosque in 1992.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Advani has always denied any wrongdoing in the razing of the 16th century mosque in the northern town of Ayodhya.
The accused include senior BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharati and Vinay Katiyar, VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya and Sadhvi Rithambara. The charges were read out by Special Judicial Magistrate V.K. Singh at a special court in Rae Bareli.
The charges against Advani were thrown out of court in 2003, but a higher court overturned that decision earlier this month and ordered him and seven others to stand trial. P.K. Chaubey, prosecutor for the Central Bureau of Investigation, told reporters that a court in Rae Bareli had taken note of the charges against Advani and would begin a trial on Aug. 30. The charges against Advani include inciting riots and delivering provocative speeches that fanned religious passions. These charges carry a punishment of up to five years in jail.
More than 3,000 people were killed in riots that erupted across India after the Babri Mosque was razed, and the bitter dispute has become the lightning rod for tension between the country’s majority Hindus and minority Muslims.
All the accused were present in the court with their lawyers when the charges were read out. All pleaded “not guilty”. The accused were directed by the court to file a personal bond of 10,000 rupees each, which was complied.
This was Advani’s second appearance in the court. He last appeared in court in 1993. Subsequently, as BJP moved to power, as deputy prime minister, he asked the court to exempt him from appearing. A Rae Bareli court discharged him around two years ago.
All the accused would have to be present at the next hearing too, CBI counsel P.K. Chaubey said.
A prima facie case had been made out against all the accused and the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had also expressed the same view, Chaubey said.
Regarding the personal bond, the accused paid yesterday, Chaubey said that the CBI had insisted that they should be directed to do so. The accused had so far neither filed any bond nor surety in the matter, he said.
Meanwhile, denying the charges, the BJP has described the court proceedings as “politically motivated.”
“We have said earlier that the case is politically motivated and the charges are false. We believe that all eight leaders will be absolved of the charges,” BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said.
“This is the case against a national movement and can be compared with the cases on freedom fighters during the British regime. The CBI will never be able to provide evidence for the charges they have slapped,” Swaraj said.
Joshi said: “As this case proceeds people will get to know what happened that day. We will fight this case and prove the charges to be false and politically motivated.”
Joshi also expressed that Sangh Parivar remained united and committed to the construction of the Ram temple. When questioned on Advani having described the demolition of Babri Masjid as the saddest day of his life, Joshi said it was up to Advani to comment on that.
Before leaving for the Rae Bareli court, Advani told reporters in Lucknow yesterday: “The Ayodhya movement has been revived due to the case...old memories will be refreshed.” Asserting that BJP had never put the Ayodhya-issue on the backburner, Advani said: “It was a matter associated with the faith and belief of crores of Hindus.”
