Courageous of Vedanti to take rap for veterans in Babri case: BJP

A day after former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ram Vilas Vedanti owned up responsibility for the demolition of the Babri mosque, the saffron party said that the former was courageous to take the rap for party veterans facing conspiracy charges in the case.

"He could also be a witness. It is courageous of him to take the rap for L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. But we already know that Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and others are innocent and there was no conspiracy. It is just a matter of formality. Let the formal acquittal take place so that all these top leaders of the BJP can proudly say that all the conspiracies against them has failed," BJP leader Subramanian Swamy told ANI.

Another BJP leader S. Prakash echoed the similar statement, while asserting that no political leaders were involved in the demolition of Babri mosque in December 1992.

"Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi or any other leaders did not instigate anyone and that is the fact. It was the spontaneous reactions of the lakhs of kar sevaks (volunteers) who were present in Ayodhya to perform kar seva which has been reflected by Ex- MP Vedanti," Prakash told ANI.

A day before, Vedanti claimed that it was on his instruction that the 'kar sevaks' had demolished the mosque on December 6, 1992.

Asserting that accusation against Advani and Joshi were wrong, Vedanti further said the BJP veterans were trying to bring the volunteers under control.

"Mahant Avaidynath and Ashok Singhal (both deceased) were with me when we got the structure demolished. L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were trying to bring the volunteers under control. The accusations against them are wrong," he said.

Vedanti's remarks came two days after the Supreme Court revived the conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti in the Babri Masjid demolition case.