MY KOLKATA EDUGRAPH
ADVERTISEMENT
Regular-article-logo Saturday, 11 May 2024

Cong cites SC, slams verdict

Party communications chief Randeep Surjewala urges Centre, UP govt to file appeal against Wednesday’s ruling

Sanjay K. Jha New Delhi Published 01.10.20, 01:53 AM
Randeep Surjewala

Randeep Surjewala File picture

The Congress has objected to the mass acquittal in the Babri Masjid demolition that the Supreme Court had termed an “egregious violation of the rule of law”, arguing the entire country has witnessed the Sangh-BJP “conspiracy” to destroy communal harmony.

“The decision of the special (CBI) court to acquit all the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case runs counter to the Supreme Court’s (Ayodhya title suit) judgment as also the constitutional spirit,” party communications chief Randeep Surjewala said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The Supreme Court in its judgment on November 9, 2019, pronounced by five judges, held that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was a clear illegality and an ‘egregious violation of the rule of law’. But the special court has exonerated all the accused.”

Surjewala added: “The entire country witnessed a deep-rooted political conspiracy by the BJP-RSS and its leaders to destroy the country’s communal amity and brotherhood for usurping power at any cost. The then BJP government of Uttar Pradesh was a co-conspirator in the designed attack on India’s constitutional ethos, so much so that the Supreme Court was misled (with) a wrong affidavit (filed) on oath.

“It is only after a detailed examination of all these aspects, facts and evidence that the Supreme Court held the demolition of the masjid to be ‘an egregious violation’ of the rule of law.”

While the Congress had welcomed the Supreme Court verdict that gave the disputed plot in Ayodhya to Hindus to build a Ram temple, it views the Babri demolition as a criminal act that should be treated separately.

Surjewala said: “Every Indian who has innate faith in the Constitution as also in the spirit of communal amity and brotherhood expects and urges the central and state governments to file an appeal against the decision of the special court, (which is) founded in error, and follow the letter of the law and the Constitution without any partiality and pre-meditated prejudice. This is the true calling of the rule of law and our Constitution.”

The Congress spokesperson read out an extract from the Supreme Court verdict: “On 6 December 1992, the structure of the mosque was brought down and the mosque was destroyed. The destruction of the mosque took place in breach of the order of status quo and an assurance given to this court. The destruction of the mosque and the obliteration of the Islamic structure was an egregious violation of the rule of law.”

Surjewala added: “Para 800 said, ‘The Constitution postulates the equality of all faiths. Tolerance and mutual co-existence nourish the secular commitment of our nation and its people’. Still, the special court found no one guilty.”

Follow us on:
ADVERTISEMENT