Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said the Babri masjid demolition case lost its relevance after the Supreme Court settled the Ram Janmabhoomi title suit in 2019, even as he welcomed the special court’s verdict acquitting all the 32 accused in the case.
Also read: Babri Masjid demolition case | Sangh, BJP hail verdict
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Raut said the demolition episode needed to be forgotten now.
The court in Lucknow has acquitted all the accused, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, saying there was no conclusive proof against them.
“The (demolition) case in the special court lost its relevance after the Supreme Court’s verdict on Ram temple and the bhoomi pujan of the temple performed by the Prime Minister (in August),” said Mr. Raut. “This verdict was expected. I, on behalf of Shiv Sena and party president Uddhav Thackeray, welcome this decision of the court,” he added.
Also read: Babri Masjid demolition case verdict | Centre, States must file an appeal: Congress
Mr. Raut also said that had the Babri mosque not been razed, the bhoomi pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) of the Ram temple in Ayodhya wouldn’t have been possible.
“...We have to forget that episode now,” he added.
Also read: Babri Masjid demolition case verdict | All 32 accused acquitted
In its final judgement in the Ayodhya dispute case, the Supreme Court on November 9 last year ordered that the disputed land be handed over to a trust to build the Ram temple.
The top court also ordered the government to give an alternative 5 acres of land in another place to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for the purpose of building a mosque.
