Story highlights Demolition of mosque in 1992 sparked rioting that left 2,000 dead

Court decrees trial of alleged conspirators must conclude within two years

(CNN) Three senior figures within India's ruling party will be prosecuted for alleged criminal conspiracy over the 1992 demolition of a mosque in northern India, the country's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

L.K. Advani, Uma Bharti, and Murli Manohar Joshi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will stand trial in the case.

They and five other Hindu leaders -- two of whom are now dead -- are accused of taking part in a 1990 criminal conspiracy to demolish the Babri Masjid in the northern town of Ayodhya.

It was torn down in December 1992 by a mob of Hindus, many using crowbars or bare hands.

The court ruling came after the Central Board of Investigation (CBI) told India's top court on April 6 that Advani and the other accused had not faced conspiracy charges due to technical reasons.

Read More</s>The destruction of the 16th-century mosque in the town of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh was a break-point in the Hindu-Muslim fabric of the nation. While some say that the site where the mosque stood is the birthplace of Lord Ram, the issue has been raging from eons. Here is a timeline of how communalism threw modern India into jeopardy.



Hindu youths clamour atop the 16th century Muslim Babri Mosque in this 06 December 1992 photo five hours before the structure was completely demolished by hundreds supporting Hindu fundamentalist activists. Pic/AFP

1527: A mosque is built on the site which some Hindus say marks the spot where Lord Ram was born. Some have claimed an old Hindu temple was demolished and a mosque constructed at the same place in Ayodhya and named after Babur and hence the name Babri Masjid.



1853: First recorded incidents of communal clashes at the site.



1859: British colonial administration erected a fence to separate the places of worship, allowing the inner court to be used by Muslims and the outer court by Hindus. This stood for 90 years.



1949: Idols of Lord Ram appear inside mosque, allegedly placed there by Hindus. Hindu wing is also said to have allegedly said that the idols had miraculously appeared. Muslims protest resulting in both the parties filing civil suits. The government then declared the premises a disputed area and locked the gates.



1984: The movement was spearheaded by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to build a temple at the site, which they claimed was the birthplace of Lord Ram. It gathered momentum when they formed a committee to construct a temple at the Ramjanmabhoomi site. Then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani, took over leadership of campaign.



1986: A district judge ordered the gates of the mosque to be opened after almost five decades and allowed Hindus to worship inside the 'disputed structure.' The gates were opened in less than an hour after the court decision. Muslims set up Babri Mosque Action Committee in protest against the move to allow Hindu prayers at the site. 



1989: VHP steps up the campaign and proclaims that a Shila or a stone will be established for construction of temple near the area. In November, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad laid foundations of a temple on land adjacent to the 'disputed structure'.



1990: VHP volunteers partially damage the mosque. The then Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar tries to resolve the dispute through negotiations, which fail.



1991: BJP comes to power in Uttar Pradesh state, where Ayodhya is located.the power at the Centre, is however Congress.

1992: The mosque is razed down by more than lakh supporters of the VHP, the Shiv Sena party and the BJP, prompting nationwide riots between Hindus and Muslims in which more than 2,000 people die.



1998: The BJP forms coalition government under Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.



2001: Tensions rise on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque. VHP pledges again to build Hindu temple at the site.



January 2002: Mr Vajpayee sets up an Ayodhya cell in his office and appoints a senior official, Shatrughna Singh, to hold talks with Hindu and Muslim leaders.



February 2002: BJP rules out committing itself to the construction of a temple in its election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. VHP confirms deadline of 15 March to begin construction. Hundreds of volunteers converge on site. At least 58 people are killed in an attack on a train in Godhra which is carrying Hindu activists returning from Ayodhya.



March 2002: Between 1,000 and 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, die in riots in Gujarat following the train attack.



April 2002: Three High Court judges begin hearings on determining who owns the religious site.



January 2003: Archaeologists begin a court-ordered survey to find out whether a temple to Lord Ram existed on the site.



August 2003: The survey presented evidence of a temple under the mosque. Muslim groups disputed the findings. Mr Vajpayee says at the funeral of Hindu activist Ramchandra Das Paramhans that he will fulfil the dying man's wishes and build a temple at Ayodhya and hopes the courts and negotiations will solve the issue.



September 2003: A court rules that seven Hindu leaders should stand trial for inciting the destruction of the Babri Mosque, but no charges are brought against L.K Advani who was also at the site in 1992.



November 2004: A court in Uttar Pradesh rules that an earlier order which exonerated Advani for his role in the destruction of the mosque should be reviewed.



July 2005: Suspected Islamic militants attack the disputed site, using a jeep laden with explosives to blow a hole in the wall of the complex. Security forces kill five people they say are militants, and a sixth who was not immediately identified.



2007: The Supreme Court refused to admit a review petition on the Ayodhya dispute.



June 2009: The Liberhan commission investigating events leading up to the mosque's demolition submits its report - 17 years after it began its inquiry.



November 2009: There is uproar in parliament as the Liberhan commission's report is published and it blames leading politicians from the Hindu nationalist BJP for a role in the mosque's razing.



September 2010: Allahabad High Court rules that the site should be split, with the Muslim community getting control of a third, Hindus another third and the Nirmohi Akhara sect the remainder. Control of the main disputed section, where the mosque was torn down, is given to Hindus. 



December 2010: The Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha and Sunni Waqf Board moved to the Supreme Court of India, challenging part of the Allahabad High Court’s verdict.



May 2011: Supreme Court suspends High Court ruling after Hindu and Muslim groups appeal against the 2010 verdict.

September 2013: SC advanced by about two months the date of hearing in the Babri Masjid demolition case against L.K. Advani and 19 others after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pleaded for an early hearing which was not opposed by the senior BJP leader.

March 2015: SC issues notices to senior BJP leaders, including L.K.Advani, MM Joshi, Uma Bharati and Kalyan Singh, on a plea not to drop charges of criminal conspiracy against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

March 2017: The Supreme Court revived the conspiracy charges against senior BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, MM Joshi and Uma Bharti in the Babri Masjid demolition case.</s>Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti will not resign after the Supreme Court’s ruled that she and other leaders will face conspiracy charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case. “This [the Babri Masjid demolition] case is going on since 1993. Somehow it is going on and no new situation has arisen. So the situation, which was prevailing, will continue,” said Jaitley, according to PTI.

Jaitley’s comments come as the Congress demanded action against Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Bharti, LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, who will face trial in the case. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said ministers holding Constitutional positions should resign, reported ANI. Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik also made similar demands and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Bharti.

However, Bharti said, “Party [the Congress] that was behind Emergency and 1984 riots has no right to demand my resignation.” She also accepted the Supreme Court’s ruling and added that she was willing to face any punishment for the sake of Ayodhya, Ganga and the Tricolour. The water resources minister told ANI that she would visit Ayodhya on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Jaitley also clarified that the Wednesday’s verdict will not have any political ramification on the selection of candidates for president and vice president’s posts. Rumours are doing the rounds that the BJP may field veteran leaders Advani and Joshi for the president and vice president elections, respectively. If the rumours stand to be true, the top court’s latest ruling in the Babri Masjid demolition case will be a big blow. President Pranab Mukherjee’s tenure ends on July 24, while that of Vice President Hamid Ansari is on August 10.

However, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav had a different take on the matter. He said the Supreme Court’s verdict was a masterstroke by Modi to remove Advani’s name from the presidential race. “The CBI is under the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It stood in the Supreme Court and sought permission to run trial against Advani and others in the Babri Masjid demolition case... It is well known that the CBI does what the government desires,” he told PTI.

Earlier on Wednesday, the apex court restored the criminal conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi, Bharti and several others in the Babri Masjid demolition case. The bench, however, excluded Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh from its judgement as he enjoys Constitutional immunity.

In its ruling, the court has put down a number of directions, including that there will be no adjournments under normal circumstances, and that the judges hearing the case will not be transferred.

It also observed that no case will be registered against Kalyan Singh as he has immunity as the governor of Rajasthan. According to Article 361 of the Indian Constitution, a governor is not answerable to any court with regard to exercising his duties, and no criminal proceedings can be instituted or continued against them while in office.

The bench – headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar and comprising justices PC Ghose and Rohinton Nariman – had earlier suggested resolving the long-standing Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, through negotiations outside court.

On December 6, 1992, the mosque was demolished by lakhs of karsevaks, who had gathered at the site from across the country. The incident had triggered communal riots across the country. The karsevaks had claimed that the land on which the mosque stood was the birthplace of Ram.</s>NEW DELHI (AP) - India's top court on Wednesday ordered four senior leaders of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party to stand trial over a 1992 attack on an ancient mosque that sparked Hindu-Muslim violence that killed thousands.

A lower court had earlier dropped conspiracy charges against the four in a case that has languished in India's sluggish legal system for almost 25 years.

Hindu groups say the 16th century Babri Mosque was built after a temple dedicated to the Hindu god King Ram was destroyed by Muslim invaders. Hindu fundamentalists with pickaxes and crowbars razed the structure to the ground in December 1992.

FILE - In this July 28, 2005 file photo, Indian opposition leader and President of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) L.K. Advani, second right, senior BJP leaders Uma Bharati, right, Kalyan Singh, second left, and Murli Manohar Joshi wave to people during a public rally in Rae Bareilly, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. India's top court said Wednesday, April 19, 2017, that the four senior leaders of India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party will stand trial for their role in a criminal conspiracy over the destruction of the 16th century Babri mosque in 1992, an event that sparked bloody nationwide rioting. Of the four main leaders who will now stand trial, Singh is currently the governor of an Indian province, and the constitution protects him from criminal trial. Therefore his trial will start after his term ends. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)

The attack on the mosque in Ayodhya, 350 miles (550 kilometers) east of New Delhi, sparked the largest explosion of Hindu-Muslim violence in the country in decades, leaving 2,000 people dead. Thousands more died in later violence caused by disputes over the site.

Hindu hard-liners, including BJP members, say they want to build a new temple to Ram on the site.

The four party leaders are accused of making inflammatory speeches that incited thousands of their followers who had camped out in Ayodhya ahead of the Dec. 6 attack on the mosque.

The four - L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh - have said that the mosque's demolition was a spontaneous eruption by angry Hindu activists.

The Supreme Court order follows demands from the Central Bureau of Investigation, India's main investigating agency, that the conspiracy charges against the senior party leaders be reinstated.

The court said that the trial will held in the northern city of Lucknow and should wrap up in two years.

Of the four party leaders who will now stand trial, Singh is currently the governor of an Indian province, and the constitution protects him from criminal trial. Therefore his trial will start after his term ends.

At the time of the mosque's 1992 destruction, Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, where Ayodhya is located.

FILE - In this April 14, 2009 file photo, India's opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani gestures during an event to mark the birth anniversary of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, a prominent freedom fighter and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, at the party office in New Delhi, India. India's top court said on Wednesday, April 19, 2017, that several senior leaders of India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, including Advani, will stand trial for their role in a criminal conspiracy to destroy a 16th-century mosque in 1992. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan, File)</s>The Supreme Court of India today revived the conspiracy charges against some top BJP leaders in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Even as the Babri Masjid on a disputed site in Ayodhya was demolished in 1992, the incident was not something that took place at the spur of the moment. Instead, the demolition of the 16th-century mosque was almost the culmination of hundreds of years of conflict that started with the construction of the mosque on the instruction of then Mughal Emperor Babar in 1528. Hindus continue to believe that the disputed site was the birthplace of Lord Ram, while the Muslims refuse to accept this claim.

Even as India became independent in 1947, the dispute over the site remained unsolved. In the 1980s, the conflict took some political colours in the form of Ramjanmabhoomi movement launched by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and led by BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani. The movement culminated in the demolition of the mosque structure, leading to riots and an unending dispute that continues to challenge the secular fabric of India even today. To understand the entire dispute and the conspiracy case revived against Advani and others, one needs to take a look at the entire history — from the construction of the mosque to its demolition and until today.

Here is a brief timeline:

1528: Mir Baki builds Babri Masjid on the orders of Mughal emperor Babar.

1885: First suit regarding the disputed Babri Masjid structure filed. Mahant Raghubir Das fails to get permission to build temple on the outer courtyard of Babri Masjid.

1949: Lord Ram’s idol appear inside the mosque, leads to clashes. Government declares the site as disputed, locks the gates

1950: Faizabad court allows puja before the installed idols. Inner courtyard remained closed.

1959: Nirmohi Akhara, one of the main parties to the dispute, seeks permission to conduct prayers.

1961: Sunni Central Board of Waqfs in UP file case to claim the mosque, argues surrounding area is graveyard.

1984: VHP starts the movement for Ram Temple, Advani becomes the leader of the campaign.

1989: Then PM Rajiv Gandhi allows ‘shilanyas’ on an undisputed site close to the structure. Case shifts to High Court.

November 1990: Advani arrested in Samastipur, Bihar. BJP withdraws support to VP Singh government at Centre.

Crime number 197 filed against kar sevaks for “actual demolition of mosque”.

Crime number 198: Case against leaders like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar for delivering ‘communal’ speeches before the demolition.

1993: Government takes over 67 acres of land around the disputed area, approaches SC seeking its opinion on whether the temple ever existed on the disputed site.

October 1993: CBI files composite charge sheet, accused Advani and other BJP leaders of ‘conspiracy’.

1994: Case sent to Lucknow Bench of Allahabad HC. Cases heard again from 1996.

May 4, 2001: HC drops conspiracy charges against Advani and other 13 accused. HC also separates both crimes (number 197 and 198) for a separate hearing.

March 2003: Allahabad HC orders ASI to examine if temple existed at the disputed site.

August 31, 2003: All India Muslim Personal Law Board says it would challenge ASI findings.

May 20, 2010: Allahabad HC absolves SC Advani, others absolved of conspiracy charges as Allahabad HC upholds May 4, 2001 special court order.

September 23, 2010: Plea for out-of-court settlement reaches SC. Apex court rejects the petition for deferment, allows HC to pronounce the verdict.

September 30, 2010: HC announces the verdict, rules three-way division of disputed area between Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the party for ‘Ram Lalla’.

February 2011: CBI moves Supreme Court. Argues that “the actual demolition of the Babri Masjid and the continuous assault on media persons form a single connected transaction and can well be a concerted conspiracy”.

December 25, 2014: Oldest litigant in Babri Masjid case passes away. Mohammad Farooq, a resident of Ayodhya, was one of the seven main litigants from Muslim side in the 1949 Babri Masjid case.

February 26, 2016: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy files plea in SC seeking construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site, SC allows him to intervene in the pending matters.

April 19, 2017: The Supreme Court revives conspiracy charges against L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and 13 others in the 25-year-old Babri Masjid demolition cases.

April 6, 2017: The Supreme Court indicated that it will use its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to transfer the Babri Masjid demolition related trial in Rae Bareilly against top BJP leaders L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi to Lucknow, where a CBI court is hearing conspiracy and other serious criminal charges against “lakhs of unknown kar sevaks” for the actual act of razing down the 15th century mosque.

March 23, 2017: A Supreme Court Bench of Justices P.C. Ghose and Rohinton Nariman posted for detailed hearing the CBI appeal against the dropping of the criminal conspiracy charge against veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani and other top party leaders after two weeks.

March 21, 2017: Suggesting an out-of-court rapprochement among rival parties in the 68-year-old Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute, Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar advised peace negotiations instead of a pitched court battle, even offering help to settle the fight amicably.

March 6, 2017: Supreme Court indicates it may revive conspiracy charge and order a joint trial of crimes 197 and 198.

April 19, 2017: The Supreme Court today restored the criminal conspiracy charges against senior BJP leaders like Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti in the Babri Masjid Demolition case. The apex court makes it clear that no adjournment in the case would be given under normal circumstances. No judge, hearing the case, would be transferred, ANI reports. In its verdict today, the SC also made it clear that no case would be filed against Kalyan Singh, who now holds the post of Governor of Rajasthan.</s>It was one of the most incendiary episodes in India's modern history.

Now, the country's Supreme Court has decided to revive criminal conspiracy charges against four veteran ruling party politicians over the destruction of a mosque 25 years ago.

"The destruction of the Babri Masjid by a Hindu mob in 1992 ignited the worst communal rioting across India in decades," NPR's Julie McCarthy reports from New Delhi. "More than 2,000 people were killed."

The four politicians hail from the Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including former party chief L.K. Advani. They "have been ordered to stand trial for allegedly inciting Hindus to tear down the 16th century mosque" in the town of Ayodhya, Julie adds.

As The Associated Press reports, "The charges against the [Bharatiya Janata Party] leaders, brought by the Central Bureau of Investigation, date back more than a decade and were previously blocked by another court."

The site where the mosque once stood has long been a flashpoint between Hindus and the country's Muslim minority, Julie adds. She says Hindus claim that the area was dedicated to Lord Ram.

The defendants have denied "making inflammatory speeches that encouraged Hindu mobs to tear down the Babri mosque," according to the BBC.

The Supreme Court judges ordered that the trial be completed in two years, the broadcaster adds.

After the charges were reinstated, one of the defendants was quoted by the broadcaster as saying that she has no regrets.

"I want to tell the country it's time for the Ram temple to be built," said Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti. "There is no conspiracy. Yes, I was there in Ayodhya on 6 December [when the mosque was demolished]. ... Why should I regret it. I was involved in the Ayodhya incident. I remain unrepentant."

The future of the site itself remains uncertain; as the BBC reports, "Hindus want a temple built at the site, while Muslims want a new mosque."

But the issues in this case are larger than a single contested site. Julie says that the trial "is certain to revive debate about the brand of Hindu nationalism within the party that Modi now runs."</s>The Babri Masjid was built in the town of Ayodha in the 16th century on the site where some Hindus believe Lord Rama, one of the most revered deities in Hinduism, was born.

It was torn down in December 1992 by a mob of Hindus, many using crowbars or bare hands.

L.K. Advani, Uma Bharati, and Murli Manohar Joshi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will stand trial in the case. They are accused along with five other Hindu leaders -- two of whom are now dread -- of taking part in a 1990 criminal conspiracy to demolish the mosque.

Muslim children in Mumbai hold placards as they march with activists in December 2010 to mark the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The demolition sparked religious riots across the country in which more than 2,000 people died. Dozens of temples and mosques were also targeted in a series of revenge attacks by Hindu and Muslim mobs. The violence was some of worst seen in India since the bloody clashes that accompanied partition following independence in 1947. The Supreme Court ruled that the trial must conclude within two years.</s>The Indian Supreme Court today ruled that Lal Krishan Advani and several other senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders will face conspiracy charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case, it has been reported by India Today.

The court also ordered a time-bound trial, ordering that the judge hearing the case shall not be transferred until a judgement is delivered and that there shall be adjournments during the trial except under exceptional circumstances.

The Allahabad High Court had earlier ruled in favour of the conspiracy charges being dropped against the veteran BJP leaders, including Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union minister Uma Bharti. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is prosecuting the Babri demolition cases, had appealed against the high court's order.



The Supreme Court today allowed the CBI's appeal and also ordered the clubbing of two trials that are currently going on in the Babri demolition case. The case against Advani, Joshi and Bharti was being heard in a Raebareli court while a Lucknow court was hearing a case against unnamed karsevaks who are accused to actually demolishing the Babri masjid on December 6, 1992.

However, the apex court has now ordered the clubbing of the two cases, ruling that the Lucknow court will also rule on the conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi, Bharti and others.

The bench of Justices PC Ghose and RF Nariman also ruled that the trial judge hearing the Babri case will not be transferred until the judgement in the case is delivered.

The bench also ruled that Kalyan Singh, currently the governor of Rajasthan, enjoys constitutional immunity and won't be tried right now. Singh, who was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh at the time of the demolition, will be tried once he relinquishes the post of governor.</s>The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed CBI’s appeal in Babri mosque demolition case and restored criminal conspiracy charge against L K Advani and other BJP leaders.

The first suit regarding the disputed Babri Masjid structure was filed in 1885

1885: Mahant Raghubir Das was refused permission to build a temple on the outer courtyard of the Babri Masjid

The legal battle over the disputed Babri Masjid structure has gone on for over a century

1949: Idols of Ram Lalla were placed surreptitiously under the central dome of the Babri Masjid

1950-61: Four separate suits were filed to either perform pooja to Ram Lalla (infant Ram) or hand over charge of the disputed site

1986: Site opened for Hindu worshippers after Faizabad district judge orders removal of locks

1989: The four suits pending were transferred to the Allahabad HC

1991: UP govt acquired land around the structure for convenience of devotees who attend Ram Lalla darshan

Two FIRs were filed in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Crime no. 197: Actual “demolition of the mosque by karsevaks”

Crime no. 198: 13 BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar, named for delivering ‘communal’ speeches before the demolition.

1993: Govt took over 67 acres of land around the area, seeks SC's opinion on whether there existed a Hindu place of worship before the Babri Masjid was built.

October, 1993: CBI filed a composite charge sheet and accused Advani and other BJP leaders of ‘conspiracy’

1994: Case sent back to Lucknow Bench of Allahabad HC, suits heard again from 1996

May 4, 2001: Special Judge S.K. Shukla dropped conspiracy charge against 13 accused, including.LK. Advani and Kalyan Singh.

May 20, 2010: Advani, others absolved of conspiracy charges as Allahabad HC upholds May 4, 2001 special court order,

September 30, 2010: Allahabad HC awarded two-thirds of Ayodhya site to Hindu parties and one-third to Waqf Board.

December 25, 2014: Mohammad Farooq, oldest litigant in the case, died, Farooq, a resident of Ayodhya, was one of the seven main Muslim litigants in the 1949 Babri Masjid case.

March 6, 2017: SC indicated it may revive conspiracy charge and order a joint trial of crimes 197 and 198.

March 22, 2017: SC was willing to appoint a principal negotiator if the parties want

April 6, 2017: CBI urged SC to revive the Babri Masjid demolition case against 13 BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar

April 20: Conspiracy charges against L K Advani accepted against Advani accepted by SC

Relief for former UP CM Kalyan Singh, who enjoys constitutional immunity

Day-to-day hearing to take place once charges are framed

No transfer of judge till the case is transferred to Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC

Next hearing of the case at 3pm today</s>Babri Masjid Case: LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti will be tried for criminal conspiracy

New Delhi: Top BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and union minister Uma Bharti will be tried for criminal conspiracy in the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, the Supreme Court said today. A day-to-day trial will be held in a court in Lucknow, judges said, and hearing must be completed in two years.
Three senior figures in the Bharatiya Janata Party, L.K. Advani, Uma Bharati and Murli Manohar Joshi, will be tried for their alleged role in the destruction of the Babri Masjid Mosque in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya.