Rajiv Gandhi ordered to open locks of Babri Masjid: Owaisi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ordered to open the locks of Babri Masjid, which had nothing to do with the case of Shah Bano.

"After the judgement, the law was violated within the next 15 minutes. Later, Rajiv Gandhi started his election campaign from there. In the five-minute hearing, an order of 25 pages is given. The opening of locks had nothing to do with the Shah Bano case," he told reporters here.

"Whatever Madhav Godbole has said is true. What he said about our former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is a historical fact. On his orders, locks were opened and there was a Congress government that time," the AIMIM chief said.

Earlier, former Home Secretary of India, Madhav Godbole said that there could have been a solution to the Babri Masjid-Ram temple dispute if Rajiv Gandhi had acted.

"If Rajiv Gandhi had acted, it was possible to find out a solution because political positions had not fortified on both sides. There was a possibility to give and take and a solution could have been acceptable," said Godbole.

"Several suggestions were made to Rajiv Gandhi by many including then Member of Parliament Shahabuddin and Minister Karan Singh," he said.

Explaining the suggestions given to the former Prime Minister, Godbole said: "Rajiv Gandhi was not interested. In fact, he went to the extent of opening the locks of the Babri Masjid and permitting 'Shilanyaas' to take place. I have called Rajiv Gandhi second Karsevak in my book. First was the District Magistrate, who allowed all this to begin."

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court heard the Ayodhya case on a day-to-day basis for 40 days and reserved its verdict on October 16.

The apex court is expected to deliver its verdict on the dispute over the ownership of 2.77 acres of land in Ayodhya district in Uttar Pradesh before November 17, when the Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi retires.