Mumbai, Sep 30 : The much-awaited Special CBI Court verdict on the Babri Masjid demolition evoked mixed reactions in Maharashtra from the ruling Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress and prominent citizens, here on Wednesday.
Lauding the judgement, Shiv Sena Chief Spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said: “The Shiv Sena, our party President and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and myself, welcome this verdict. We also congratulate L. K. Advaniji, Murli Manohar Joshiji, Uma Bhartiji and other people who have been acquitted in the case.”
However, he said that the incident happened 28 years ago and ended up changing the course of Indian politics.
Raut said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already laid the foundation for a grand temple at Ayodhya and pointed out that if the Babri Masjid hadn’t been razed, there would have been no ‘bhoomipoojan’ for the Ram Temple.
“The verdict says that the demolition wasn’t a conspiracy and the outcome of circumstances. It’s time we forget the episode and move ahead,” urged Sena leader and Executive Editor of party newspapers ‘Saamana’ and ‘Dopahar Ka Saamana’.
Another ruling ally NCP’s National Spokesperson and Minister Nawab Malik said there was “nothing to be surprised as the verdict was on expected lines, and we respect the ruling”.
“However, on the issue of lack of evidence, the entire CBI case was based on evidence, the entire national media covered it live that day 28 years ago, and videos of that incident are still available all over,” Malik pointed out.
Stating that peoples’ faith in the judiciary may be shaken by the verdict, Congress leader Hussein Dalwai said that the Babri Masjid demolition was not based on fact as the razing itself was the outcome of a nationwide campaign launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sangh Parivar.
“Rath Yatras were taken out, riots erupted, thousands of innocents were killed and 1.50 million people had gathered in Ayodhya then. Under whose leadership they came? They also had the tools needed to demolish the Masjid,” said Dalwai.
The ex-MP said that the entire country had seen everything in the media and “it is shocking and incomprehensible that the accused are acquitted due to lack of strong evidence”.
Another ally Samajwadi Party state President Abu Asim Azmi alleged that the CBI has been misused to such an extent that it has now become ‘a tool for Hindutva’.
“The day is not far off when other terror accused persons shall also be declared innocent. Now, only the country’s voters can deliver justice,” Azmi said.
Former senior BJP leader Vinod Tiwari felt the judgement was very delayed and should have come much earlier, and the situation in the country would have been different.
“I wish the verdict had come in 2017 or even before. Then, probably, elder leader L. K. Advani could have been the country’s President,” Tiwari said.
He expressed the hope that finally the curtain will come down on the mosque-temple dispute after nearly three decades, setting the nation on the path of peace, progress and development.
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from IANS service.