Babri mosque demolition

Senior BJP leaders to face trial

Three senior members of India's ruling Hindu nationalist party including a cabinet minister should face trial over the demolition of a mosque a quarter of a century ago, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, reports AFP from New Delhi.The three are accused of inciting Hindu zealots to pull down the 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya in 1992, igniting one of India's most explosive religious disputes in which thousands died.India's top court said government minister Uma Bharti, former deputy prime minister L K Advani, and M M Joshi -- all senior members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- should face criminal conspiracy charges.The ruling came after a lower court dropped the charges brought against them by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), kicking off a series of appeals and counter-appeals."We have allowed the CBI appeal against the Allahabad High Court judgement with certain directions," the Press Trust of India news agency quoted the Supreme Court judges as saying.
The demolition of the mosque in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh sparked nationwide riots in which thousands were killed, most of them Muslims.
It marked the culmination of a virulent campaign led by the BJP, which recently won elections in the state, India's largest.
Many Hindus believe the Babri mosque was only built after the destruction of a temple that marks the birthplace of their god Ram and the issue remains hugely divisive.
Some BJP leaders including Bharti want a temple to Ram to be built on the ruins of the razed mosque -- an idea that horrifies Uttar Pradesh's significant Muslim minority.

 

Babri mosque demolition

Senior BJP leaders to face trial

Three senior members of Indias ruling Hindu nationalist party including a cabinet minister should face trial over the demolition of a mosque a quarter of a century ago, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, reports AFP from New Delhi.The three are accused of inciting Hindu zealots to pull down the 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya in 1992, igniting one of Indias most explosive religious disputes in which thousands died.Indias top court said government minister Uma Bharti, former deputy prime minister L K Advani, and M M Joshi -- all senior members of Prime Minister Narendra Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- should face criminal conspiracy charges.The ruling came after a lower court dropped the charges brought against them by Indias Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), kicking off a series of appeals and counter-appeals.We have allowed the CBI appeal against the Allahabad High Court judgement with certain directions, the Press Trust of India news agency quoted the Supreme Court judges as saying. The demolition of the mosque in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh sparked nationwide riots in which thousands were killed, most of them Muslims. It marked the culmination of a virulent campaign led by the BJP, which recently won elections in the state, Indias largest. Many Hindus believe the Babri mosque was only built after the destruction of a temple that marks the birthplace of their god Ram and the issue remains hugely divisive. Some BJP leaders including Bharti want a temple to Ram to be built on the ruins of the razed mosque -- an idea that horrifies Uttar Pradeshs significant Muslim minority.