Advani, Joshi agree to face charges in Babri mosque case
Veteran BJP leaders LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday agreed to face conspiracy charges in the Babri mosque demolition case if the CBI can produce evidence against them in Raebareli. Earlier, CBI pleaded the Supreme Court to revive the charges against the leaders. Several BJP leaders remain accused of instigating crowds that demolished the Babri mosque in 1992.
Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi have agreed to face conspiracy charges in Babri mosque demolition case even as the Supreme Court reserved its verdict today. Hearing a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the top court said it was ready for day-to-day hearing in the case after the central investigation agency pleaded the court that conspiracy charges against top BJP leaders, including Advani, Joshi, Union Minister Uma Bharti be revived. Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the BJP leaders, told the Supreme Court that his clients were ready to face conspiracy charges if the CBI can adduce evidence against them in Raebareli. "Why should my right to appeal be taken to a sessions court," Venugopal said. The CBI had booked several BJP leaders including Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh and Vinay Katiyar but they were freed by a court in Raebareli of conspiracy charges. In 2010, the Allahabad High Court confirmed this decision.The Supreme Court while hinting ordering day-to-day hearing in the case said that it may transfer the trial to Lucknow.  "It's in cases like these where over 17 years have passed since the high court.The question is whether we permit evasion of law (on technical grounds) or allow evasion of justice," the top court observed.On March 6, the apex court had decided to examine the appeal against dropping of conspiracy charge against the accused including Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti in the case related to demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.The top court had also came up with an option of ordering a joint trial of cases arising out of the two FIRs lodged in the wake of the demolition of the disputed structure.However, the clubbing of two FIRs was opposed by the counsel for the accused on the ground that there were different sets of persons named as accused in the two cases, the trial of which were at an advanced stage at two different places.Altogether, 13 persons including Advani, Joshi and Bharti were discharged of conspiracy charge in the case, the trial of which is being held at a special court in Raebareli.The second set of case was against unknown 'karsevaks' who were in and around the disputed structure and the trial was being held at a court in Lucknow.The appeals were filed by the CBI against dropping of conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi and 19 others for demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992. (With inputs from PTI)WATCH: Ayodhya dispute: Five creative solutions to the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid standoffALSO READ: