Black day in the history of India's judiciary: Owaisi

Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday termed 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 judgment 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 judgment.

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

Owaisi also wondered what message the judgment 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 judgment 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 judgment 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 judgment, saying, "Had the Congress removed the idols kept there in 1949, this judgment 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.