Owaisi laments Opposition's silence on Babri demolition clean chit: 'Who broke my Masjid?

Stoking the Babri Masjid demolition again, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday, slammed the Opposition for not challenging the clean chit given to all 32 accused. Addressing a rally in Kanpur, he fumed, "They turned a blind eye as it was my Masjid being tarnished, not theirs". Urging all Muslims to unite, Owaisi asked Akhilesh Yadav if he would appoint a Muslim Deputy CM. The 403-seat UP assembly where Yogi rules with an iron-clad majority of 314 seats, is up for grabs in February 2022. 

Owaisi: 'All Opposition turned blind eye to Babri'

"After Babri Masjid verdict said there was no criminal, I asked in Parliament why CBI didn't appeal & who tarnished the Masjid. Did anyone from SP, BSP, or Congress say anything? They turned a blind eye as it was my Masjid being tarnished, not theirs. If (Samajwadi Party) wins the UP polls, will its chief Akhilesh Yadav appoint a Muslim Deputy CM?," fumed Owaisi. AIMIM has stated that it will contest on 100 seats in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls and is eyeing an alliance after talks with SBSP broke down and allied with SP.

Owaisi has often lamented the Ayodhya judgment stating that the 'Supreme Court was Supreme but not infallible'. "Those who demolished Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, have been given (responsibility) of making a trust and construct a Mandir there - this is a travesty. If Babri Masjid had not been demolished on December 6, then what would have been the verdict?".

Babri Masjid Demolition case

After 28 years, on 30 September 2020, pronouncing the 2000-page verdict, Special CBI judge Surendra Kumar Yadav observed that demolition was not "pre-planned" and happened in the "spur of the moment", acquitting all 32 accused including several BJP veterans  - L.K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti. The trial judge had refused to accept newspaper clippings and video clips as evidence because the originals were not produced before the court. He also observed that the CBI was unable to produce any evidence that the accused had a mutual assent with the 'kar sevaks’ who demolished the structure. Contending this verdict, two witnesses - Haji Mahboob, 70, and Hafiz Sayyad Akhlaq, 80 contended the verdict in Allahabad HC.

On December 6, 1992 a rally had been allegedly organised in the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi area where the 16th century Babri Masjid stood - which attracted 1,50,000 kar sevaks. The rally - allegedly organised by the BJP & VHP - turned violent when kar sevaks attacked security personnel and demolished the mosque. The demolition caused communal riots which caused deaths of thousands. The Supreme Court has already given a unanimous verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi- Babri Masjid land dispute on November 9, 2019 - awarding the disputed land to the Hindus and a 5-acre land in replacement to the Muslims.