Ayodhya: A grim reminder.

Black day in the history of India’s judiciary: Owaisi; Muslims defeated

Satisfies the collective conscience of Hindutva ideology; its followers: Owaisi

Agency Report | Hyderabad/Thiruvananthapuram/Lucknow | 30 September, 2020 | 11:10 PM

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi terms the special CBI court's verdict acquitting all the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case as a black day in the history of Indian judiciary.

Terming the judgement as ‘obnoxious’, the Hyderabad MP said the verdict satisfied the collective conscience of the Hindutva ideology and its followers.

“Where will rule of law go? Today as an Indian Muslim, I feel the same sense of shame, helplessness and humiliation which I felt on December 6, 1992 when the Babri Masjid was demolished,” he told reporters.

He said that those who created the issue of Ram Mandir, took out Rath Yatra to create havoc around the country and presided over the demolition of Babri Masjid have gone Scot free and have been rewarded with this judgement.

“As as Indian Muslim, I have not got justice on this issue since 1950,” he said.

Owaisi also wondered what message the judgement would send.

“If you use brute force, if you use violence, you will be rewarded. Law has become a farce now. You can kick the law and you will be rewarded for it,” he said.

Owaisi strongly disagreed with the court’s observation that there was no spontaneity or conspiracy behind the demolition of Babri Masjid.

He pointed out that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in its chargesheet had mentioned that BJP veteran L.K. Advani and others conspired on December 5 at the house of Vinay Katiyar where Advani told then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh not to resign till the Babri Masjid was demolished.

Owaisi also pointed out that the Supreme Court in its judgement on a civil dispute had called the demolition of Babri Masjid a calculated act of destroying a place of worship.

Owaisi alleged that Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharati became famous and were politically rewarded for demolishing Babri Masjid.

“The whole world saw who assembled the people there and at whose instance and in whose presence the mosque was demolished,” he said.

The Hyderabad MP said the CBI must appeal against this judgement to protect its independence. He also urged the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to go for an appeal.

On the statement of the acquitted persons that Kashi and Mathura are next on their agenda, Owaisi said, “Not only Kashi and Mathura, but now dispute will start where mosques are standing for 400 years because these people have been rewarded. Their intentions and beliefs have been strengthened now, and definitely they will go ahead.”

Owaisi also blamed the Congress for Wednesday’s judgement, saying, “Had the Congress removed the idols kept there in 1949, this judgement would not have come. If Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had not opened the locks of Babri Masjid and had the Congress protected the mosque, this judgment would not have come,” Owaisi said.

Muslim organizations and political leaders called it injustice and shocking.

Congress leader Ahmed Patel said, “The Babri verdict is shocking, it goes contrary to principles of natural justice and even the SC’s observation.”

The AIMIM said it is a sad day for the Indian judiciary. “Today is a sad day in the history of Indian judiciary. Now, the court says there was no conspiracy. Please enlighten me, how many days or months of preparations are required to disqualify an action from being spontaneous?” asked AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi.

President of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Maulana Syed Arshad Madani said that the Babri Masjid was demolished in broad daylight, the world had also seen under whose patronage the mosque was brought down and who was in power in UP at that time. Despite this, the decision of the CBI Special Court is astonishing.

Maulana Madani added that on November 9, 2019, a five-member constitution bench of the Supreme Court, while delivering its judgement on the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute, had said that the Babri Masjid was not built by demolishing a temple.

Therefore, it was considered a criminal act to place an idol inside the Babri Masjid and then demolish it, and it was also said that the people on whose behalf this act was carried out are also guilty.

“Is it justice or is it the Failure of Justice?” he asked.

The opposition parties including the Congress have asked the government to challenge the verdict.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) too demanded that the CBI should appeal against the Lucknow CBI Special Court’s verdict acquitting all the 32 accused.

Senior IUML Lok Sabha member P.K. Kunhalikutty told the media: “One wonders if justice has been delivered in this case.”

“Even the apex court of the country had earlier said that it was an unlawful act what happened then.”

The CBI Special Court hearing the Babri Masjid demolition case of December 6, 1992, acquitted all the 32 accused on Wednesday saying it was spontaneous and not a planned move.

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 Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) demanded that the CBI should appeal against the Special CBI court Lucknow’s verdict.

Senior IUML Lok Sabha member P.K. Kunhalikutty told the media: “One wonders if justice has been delivered in this case.”

“Even the apex court of the country had earlier said that it was an unlawful act what happened then.

“The CBI probe also found out what had happened then and just see what has happened when the verdict came.

“Even though we will not question the verdict, the CBI should go in appeal against this. It’s as good as saying that the mosque is there,” said a peeved Kunhalikutty.

IUML supremo Panakad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal said it was most unfortunate that the Babri Masjid was demolished and those who did it have now gone scot-free and hence the CBI should go in for an appeal.

“At this time, what’s most important is maintaining peace and religious harmony all around and I appeal for it,” said Thangal. (IANS)