Congress, CPM term Babri demolition case verdict 'shocking, travesty of justice'

NEW DELHI: The opposition has termed the decision of the Special Court to acquit all the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case as “shocking” and a “travesty of justice” and said that it runs counter to the Supreme Court judgment and Constitutional spirit.

Urging the Central and State governments to file an appeal against the decision of the Special Court, the Congress said that the Supreme Court in its judgment dated November 9, 2019, pronounced by five judges clearly held that the demolition of Babri Masjid was a clear illegality and “an egregious violation of the rule of law”.

“But the Special Court exonerated all the Accused. It is clear that the decision of the Special Court runs counter to the decision of the Supreme Court of India. The entire country witnessed a deep-rooted political conspiracy by BJP-RSS and its leaders to destroy the country’s communal amity and brotherhood for usurping power at any cost,” said Congress media in-charge RS Surjewala.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel termed the verdict shocking for it goes contrary to principles of natural justice and even the SC’s observation.

“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 Babri Masjid to be an egregious violation of the rule of law,” said the party.

It further said that 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 state governments to file an appeal against the decision of the Special Court and follow the letter of the law and the Constitution, without any partiality and pre-meditated prejudice.

“This is the true calling of rule of law and our Constitution,” it added.

Calling it a travesty of justice, the CPM politburo said that it took 28 long years for this verdict. It will stain the image of India as a secular democratic country governed by the Constitution.  

“The CBI must immediately appeal against this judgment. All the top leaders of the BJP-VHP-RSS who were present at the scene guiding the criminal act have been found to be innocent of the charge of conspiracy to demolish the mosque. The Supreme Court in its Ayodhya judgment in November last year had called the demolition an egregious violation of the law. Now, the Lucknow court has found the main perpetrators of this crime not guilty,” said the party.