SC notice to saffron leaders for Babri Masjid demolition has strengthened people’s faith in judicial system: Civil society

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By Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 02 April 2015: Eminent members of civil society have welcomed the notice of Supreme Court in Babri Masjid demolition case to leaders of Hindu right Sangh Parivar including former deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and some sitting ministers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet. They say the notice has strengthened people’s faith in the judicial system and revived hope that the culprits of the demolition will be punished.


Dr John Dayal

“I fervently hope nemesis will eventually catch up with those who were a part of the conspiracy, and the political campaign, that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992,” Dr John Dayal, spokesman of United Christian Forum for Human Rights, told IndiaTomorrow.net.

A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice H L Dattu on 31st March issued notices to senior BJP leaders, including L K Advani, Uma Bharti, Kalyan Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi, and others, asking why conspiracy charges against them should not be restored in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case. Conspiracy charges were dropped by a trial court in 2001 and the order was upheld by the Allahabad High Court in 2010. The apex court issued notice on a fresh petition filed by Haji Mehboob, one of the original petitioners in the title suit of the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi land dispute case.

In the Babri case and also in many such other cases, Dr Dayal says, victims have not yet got justice.
“There has been a travesty of justice in this, as in a fact, there has been so in most cases of targetted violence and the conspiracies behind the ones against Sikhs in 1984, against Christians in Kandhamal in 2008 and the many against Muslims, among them Hashimura, Belchi and dozens of others.”

It is necessary to bring all leaders behind the demolition to the book to restore people’s faith in rule of law, demanded Dr Dayal.
“The involvement of the former deputy prime minister, Mr Advani, and several former and present central ministers and important BJP and Sangh parivar leaders makes it all the more important that they be brought to justice to restore the people’s faith in due process and the rule of law.”


Mukul Dube

Eminent rights activist and writer Mukul Dube is also of the view that the Babri Masjid was demolished with a conspiracy.
He asks: “Why were Advani, Joshi and others assembled on the terrace of Ram Katha Kunj? There seems little doubt that they were there because the place afforded a view of the Babari Masjid site. There seems little doubt that they had assembled to witness something which they knew was about to happen at the site. How, then, can we not speak of conspiracy?”

“These were influential people who did nothing to prevent the destruction of the mosque. The then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (Kalyan Singh) belonged to the party of which they were leaders. While Advani may not himself have shouted “Ek dhakka aur,” he does not seem to have stopped his companions from doing that. He was either a part of the collective hugging when the masjid fell or a witness to it. The bald fact is that many leaders of the movement which wanted a Ram temple built on the site of an old mosque were present when that mosque was razed,” said Dube.


Nusrat Ali

Nusrat Ali, Secretary General, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, while welcoming the SC notice has demanded speedy trial to ensure justice in this case.
“The Supreme Court notice has revived the hope that guilty of the demolition of Babri Masjid will be punished. However, we are sad that the case is dragging on and on. Around 23 years have passed since the demolition of the mosque but culprits are still at large.”

He further said: “The Supreme Court notice to those behind the demolition of the mosque has once again strengthened our faith in the judicial system of the country.”


KM Shareef

KM Shareef, chairman of Popular Front of India, termed the SC notice as “a hopeful step toward justice.”
“Babri Masjid demolition has indeed left a black mark in the secular face of our country. It was not an unexpected incident but meticulously planned and executed by Hindutwa leaders after years of campaigning. BJP leaders travelled throughout the country to amass fund and people for this purpose…Letting culprits get way with all these would ultimately undermine the meaning of justice in our country. Therefore Popular Front finds this notice a hopeful step toward justice,” Shareef said.

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