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.
Prasad was reacting to the apex court order on Wednesday allowing the CBI plea and restoring criminal conspiracy charges against Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti.
Read Also: Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing on Ayodhya land dispute case On April 6, before reserving the order, the top court bench had indicated that as far as conspiracy charge was concerned it may invoke extraordinary powers under the Constitution’s Article 142 and transfer the ongoing trial from Rae Bareli to Lucknow so that eight leaders, including Advani and Joshi, could be tried for conspiracy along with 13 others. The apex court said that the case shall be transferred within four weeks from Rai Bareilly to Lucknow. These two sets of cases are related to the demolition of the disputed structure on 6 December 1992.
The court said separate trials being conducted in trial courts at Raebareli and Lucknow will be clubbed and conducted in the Uttar Pradesh capital of Lucknow.
Regarding one of the leaders Kalyan Singh, who now enjoys immunity by virtue of holding the post of Governor, the Court directed that charges against him should be framed after he demits the office. It was subsequently demolished by the Hindus.
Hindu hard-liners, including BJP members, say they want to build a new temple to Ram on the site.
Meanwhile, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Waris Pathan welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision and said it was a long pending demand of his party.
The Lucknow court is hearing the case against unknown “karsevaks” who were in and around the Babri Masjid when it was pulled down.
Senior advocate K.K. Venugopal, appearing for Mr. Advani and Mr. Joshi, objected to the Supreme Court can not using its powers under Article 142 to disrupt an ongoing trial in Rae Bareilly.
Lalu said the CBI was under the “control” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who “used it to sideline and oust Advani from the race for the President” in a “well-planned political strategy”.
The appeals were filed by one Haji Mahboob Ahmad (since dead) and the CBI against dropping of conspiracy charges against 21 accused including the top BJP leaders.
Justice Nariman, who wrote the judgement for the bench, specifically called out the names of Mr Advani and Dr Joshi while pronouncing the verdict in the open court to underline the fact that the criminal conspiracy charges had been revived against them.