All 32 accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case were acquitted by the Special CBI Court in Lucknow on Wednesday after the court observed that the destruction of the 15th century mosque in 1992 was not pre-planned.
L.K. Advani, who was one of the accused in the case, welcomed the judgment by the court, adding that it vindicates his personal and the BJP’s “belief and commitment toward the Ram Janmabhoomi movement”.
“I wholeheartedly welcome the significant judgement delivered today by the Special Court in the Babri Masjid Demolition Case. The judgement vindicates my personal and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s belief and commitment towards the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement,” a statement released by Advani read.
“I also feel blessed that this judgement has come in the footsteps of another landmark verdict of the Supreme Court given in November 2019,which paved the way for my long cherished dream of seeing a grand Shri Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, the foundation laying ceremony of which was held on 5th August, 2020,” the statement further read.
“Alongwith millions of my countrymen, I now look forward to the completion of the beautiful Shri Ram Mandir at Ayodhya,” the statement signed off with the words ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
Sweets were distributed outside the residence of the veteran leader after the verdict was announced.
Sweets being distributed outside L.K. Advani’s residence | Arvind Jain
BJP stalwart Murli Manohar Joshi, another accused in the case, also said that everyone should be excited about the Ram Mandir construction.
“It’s a historic decision by the court. This proves that no conspiracy was hatched for December 6 incident in Ayodhya. Our program and rallies were not part of any conspiracy. We are happy, everyone should now be excited about Ram Mandir’s construction,” he said after the verdict.
Advani and Joshi, who were told to be present during the verdict, attended the hearing via video-conferencing.
The two veterans among the other accused, including BJP’s Uma Bharti, were key senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party in December 1992 when the mosque was demolished by kar sevaks. It was believed that the mosque stood on the site of an ancient temple in Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Ram.
