Urge Centre to file an appeal against acquittal: Cong's Randeep Singh Surjewala on Babri demolition case verdict

The Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday demanded that the Central and state government file an appeal against the CBI court verdict acquitting those charged with conspiracy to demolish the Babri Masjid.

He also stated that the CBI court's verdict runs counter to the earlier decision of the Supreme Court of India in the case.

"The decision of the Special Court to acquit all the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case runs counter to the Supreme Court judgement as also the Constitutional spirit," Surjewala said.

"Every Indian, who has innate faith in the Constitution as also in the spirit of communal amity and brotherhood, expects and urges the Central and the state governments to file an `appeal,` against the decision of the Special Court founded in error and follow the letter of the law and the Constitution, without any partiality and pre-meditated prejudice," said Surjewala.

"This is the true calling of rule of law and our Constitution," said Surjewala.

He said, "The Supreme Court in its judgement dated November 9, 2019, pronounced by five judges clearly held that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was a clear illegality and `egregious violation of the rule of law`.

Surjewala cited the SC judgment in para 788 XVII x, which said: "On 6 December 1992, the structure of the mosque was brought down and the mosque was destroyed. The destruction of the mosque took place in breach of the order of status quo and an assurance given to this Court. The destruction of the mosque and the obliteration of the Islamic structure was an egregious violation of the rule of law.

"Para 800 said, "The Constitution postulates the equality of all faiths. Tolerance and mutual co-existence nourish the secular commitment of our nation and its people."

He said, "The entire country witnessed a deep-rooted political conspiracy by the BJP-RSS and its leaders to destroy the country`s communal amity and brotherhood for usurping power at any cost.

"The then BJP government of Uttar Pradesh was a co-conspirator in the designed attack on India`s Constitutional ethos. So much so that the Supreme Court was misled by filing a wrong affidavit on oath. It is only after detailed examination of all these aspects, facts and evidence that the Supreme Court held the demolition of the Masjid to be `an egregious violation of the rule of law."

"But, still the Special Court found no one guilty," said Surjewala.

All 32 accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case have been acquitted by a special CBI court in Lucknow including LK Advani, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi. The acquitted leaders have welcomed the judgement.

CBI judge Surendra Kumar Yadav reading the operative part of the verdict said the demolition was not 'pre-planned'.

Unlawful elements were involved in the demolition of the Babri mosque, the court said, adding that the leaders tried to stop them. He said that Ashok Singhal and other Sangh Parivar leaders wanted to save the structure as Ram Lalla statues were inside.

Those acquitted in the case that lasted 28 years include former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, former Union Ministers M.M. Joshi, Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, among others.

The special CBI court pronounced the judgement 28 years after it was demolished in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. 

(With IANS inputs)