The Babri Masjid Action Committee and Muslims outfits have welcomed the Supreme Court order for ordering trial of 13 BJP leaders including Union minister Uma Bahrti for criminal conspiracy for demolition of the structure.
The Babri mosque was demolished on December 6 1992 while Kalyan Singh was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Though Singh is also an accused in the case, he has been exempted by the apex court as he enjoys constitutional immunity on account of being the Governor of a state.
The Supreme Court has however created moral pressure on Uma Bharti to resign from the Modi cabinet. The 13 BJP leaders include lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and others. As per the apex court's order, the trial has to be completed in two years and a Special CBI court in lucknow will hold trial on a day-to-day basis.
Former Additional Advocate General in previous Samajwadi Party regime and Convener of Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC) Jafarayeb Jilani said in lukcnow,"We welcome the Supreme Court order as we had waited for this for the last 16 years. The apee court order has strengthened the people's faith in the institution of judiciary, secular democracy and rule of law in the country."
``We hope that all those who conspired for demolition of Babri mosque will be brought to justice as the Supreme Court has ordered trial under the provision of criminal conspiracy,’’ said Jilani.
``We hope that the Yogi Adityanth government creates no obstacle in the trial and co-operates with the CBI in ensuring the witnesses were produced on time," said Jilani.
Sunni cleric and Imam of Eidgah of lucknow, Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali said, ``Better late than never. It is too late, still we welcome it.’’
" We have been waiting for this decision for the last 25 years. We hope that in the next two years, we will know as to who was responsible for the demolition of the mosque. The people having faith in rule of law wants the guilty to be punished,’’ said the Maulana.
One of the petitioners in Ayodhya title suit, Haji Mehboob too welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision and demanded that the resignation of Union minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti. Bharati, who is among the 13 accused in the Ayodhya demolition case, would be reaching Ayodhya on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari has welcomed the SC ruling in the Ayodhya demolition case. “I respect Supreme Court for the decision. The BJP had tried its best to protect its leaders from being accountable to law but failed."