 "Cong sponsored Ayodhya expose: BJP")
After trying, in vain, to stop the telecast of investigative news portal Cobrapost’s exposé on the organisers of the Ayodhya mosque demolition of 1992, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged the sting operation had been done at the behest of the Congress party.
“It is a Congress-sponsored sting to divert attention from the real issues of corruption and inflation. It isn’t Cobrapost but a Congress-post sting,” said party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad. “Did they do a sting on the Commonwealth Games case, coal scam or any other? No, not even one. This is clearly an attempt to influence the pending trial that is still in a court and amounts to contempt (of court),” said Prasad, also a lawyer in the same Babri Masjid demolition case.
Earlier in the day, the BJP complained to the Election Commission (EC) to prohibit a Cobrapost press briefing on the sting. It said this was a “politically motivated and meticulously planned operation to polarise the ongoing elections” and a “diabolic move to create a communal flare-up and cause widespread impact of a dimension that can challenge even the basic structure of the EC to conduct free and fair Lok Sabha elections”.
Party leader Uma Bharati, featured in the sting tape, echoed Prasad. She said the sting was a Congress conspiracy, but was unwilling to say more than what she had told the courts.
Cobrapost has put together interviews with some of the people who talk on tape of having played an active part in the planning of the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. The undercover investigation found, says Cobrapost, that the demolition was a pre-planned operation, executed with military-like precision by trained activists. Cobrapost associate editor K Ashish interviewed 23 of the people involved. Among these were B L Sharma, Jai Bhagwan Goyal, Sakshi Maharaj, Ritambhara, Bharati, Vinay Katiyar, Kalyan Singh, Acharya Dharmendra, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Nritya Gopal Das.
“It is a Congress-sponsored sting to divert attention from the real issues of corruption and inflation. It isn’t Cobrapost but a Congress-post sting,” said party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad. “Did they do a sting on the Commonwealth Games case, coal scam or any other? No, not even one. This is clearly an attempt to influence the pending trial that is still in a court and amounts to contempt (of court),” said Prasad, also a lawyer in the same Babri Masjid demolition case.
Earlier in the day, the BJP complained to the Election Commission (EC) to prohibit a Cobrapost press briefing on the sting. It said this was a “politically motivated and meticulously planned operation to polarise the ongoing elections” and a “diabolic move to create a communal flare-up and cause widespread impact of a dimension that can challenge even the basic structure of the EC to conduct free and fair Lok Sabha elections”.
Party leader Uma Bharati, featured in the sting tape, echoed Prasad. She said the sting was a Congress conspiracy, but was unwilling to say more than what she had told the courts.
Cobrapost has put together interviews with some of the people who talk on tape of having played an active part in the planning of the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. The undercover investigation found, says Cobrapost, that the demolition was a pre-planned operation, executed with military-like precision by trained activists. Cobrapost associate editor K Ashish interviewed 23 of the people involved. Among these were B L Sharma, Jai Bhagwan Goyal, Sakshi Maharaj, Ritambhara, Bharati, Vinay Katiyar, Kalyan Singh, Acharya Dharmendra, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Nritya Gopal Das.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
SAVE 25%
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Subscribe
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
SAVE 25%