Babri Masjid demolition case: CBI court to frame charges against LK Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti today

Lucknow: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Lucknow, conducting a day-to-day hearing of the 1992 Babri demolition case, will on Tuesday frame charges against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Uma Bharti.

The trio will appear before the court today.

Charges would also be framed against Sadhwi Ritambhara, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Vinay Katiyar and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Vishnu Hari Dalmia.

The BJP leaders had moved court seeking exemption from personally appearing in court for the hearing of their role in the conspiracy to raze the Babri Masjid on December 06, 1992.

However, the court had last week refused exemption from personal appearance to Advani, Joshi, and Bharti.

The leaders will appear today before the Special CBI judge SK Yadav.

All the accused are facing charges of conspiring to bring down the mosque.

The court, which is hearing two separate cases relating to the demolition, would also frame charges against Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Mahant Ram Vilas Vedanti, Baikunth Lal Sharma alias Prem Ji, Champat Rai Bansal, Mahant Dharma Das and and Shiv Sena`s Satish Pradhan, who were granted bail, in the second matter.

Before appearing in the CBI court today, Vinay Katiyar assured that he will follow the rulings.

"I don't want to say anything on this, the court has to take the decision and we will follow it. The court has issued summons against us. We will appear before the court and will see what will happen," Katiyar told ANI.

The BJP leader further trained his guns on Mulayam Singh Yadav, saying that the case should have been filed against the Samajwadi Party patriarch as he has already accepted his crimes.

"Nobody destroyed the Masjid, Mulayam Singh started the firing, and he himself has accepted that 16 people were killed. He murdered them, he should be booked for it. Babri Masjid was not there, the place belongs to the Ram temple and even the High Court has passed the order," he said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had opposed dropping the charges against these leaders in the Supreme Court after which the apex court directed the special CBI court in Lucknow to hold daily hearings on the 25-year-old matter and wrap it up within two years.

(With Agency inputs)