Terming the verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case as a “black day” for the Indian judiciary, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that justice was not served. The MP was responding to the verdict of the Special CBI court in Lucknow, which acquitted all the 32 accused in the case, including BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, stating that the incident was “not pre-planned.”
Slamming the verdict delivered on Wednesday, Owaisi said that the acquittal of the accused was contradicting the Supreme Court judgement on Ayodhya given on November 9, 2019.
“The Supreme Court judgement says that the act of demolition was an egregious violation of rule of law and a calculated act of destroying a public place of worship. Now, I fail to comprehend. If the Supreme Court has called it an egregious violation of rule of law, did someone use magic to demolish the Masjid on December 6 (1992)? Did the deities appear in the Masjid magically on the intervening night of December 22 and 23, 1949?” he said while addressing the media.
“I am forced to say that the violence pays politically,” he added.
Referring to Advani’s infamous rath yatra in 1990 from Somnath to Ayodhya, to garner support for the demand for the construction of a Ram temple, Owaisi said, “Wherever the rath yatra passed through, there were violence, murders and properties destroyed.”
Recalling the incendiary comments and activities by some BJP leaders, he added, “Didn’t (former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister) Uma Bharti say ‘Ek Dhakka aur do, Babri Masjid thod do?’ (“Give one more push and demolish Babri Masjid?”). Didn't the world see that Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti were celebrating by distributing sweets when Babri was demolished?”
Disappointed with the verdict, he said, “How did you (the court) come to this conclusion today? What message do you want to send? The message is: Mass violence pays.”
Stating that justice was denied, Owaisi said that since 1950, Muslims of this country have been denied justice in the Babri Masjid demolition case.
“On the day of the Masjid demolished, I felt helpless and humiliated. It is the same feeling today. We did not get justice,” he said.
Owaisi said that the CBI should ask for an appeal in the case to maintain its credibility. “I am not sure if they will appeal, and if they do, I am not certain when the case will be heard. But the CBI should appeal.”
He added, “This judgement satisfies the collective conscience of the Hindutva followers and its ideology. But who demolished the masjid?”