New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: The infamous demolition of the Babri Masjid was carried out on this day in 1992 by Hindu Kar Sevaks. The demolition ignited communal violence across the country, leading to the death of over 2,000 people.
Though it is been 28 years since the demolition of Babri Masjid, the incident is regarded as one of the blackest days of India after its independence and has changed the country's politics over the years.
What happened on that infamous day in 1992?
On December 6, 1992, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) organised a rally consisting lakhs of Hindu Kar Sevaks near the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya which the Hindus claim that is the birthplace of Lord Ram.
However, the mob turned violent and began raising slogans in the afternoon of that day. They gradually overwhelmed security forces and demolished the Babri Masjid. The incident led to widespread riots across the country and several hundred were killed while thousands were injured and displaced.
Several top politicians, including LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, were accused of inciting the mob on that day. However, all accused in the case were acquitted by the Special CBI court in Lucknow on September 30 this year which noted that the demolition was "not pre-planned". The court also observed that there was no conclusive proof against them.
What the case is all about?
The entire case revolves around a plot of land measuring 2.77 acres in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya. The Hindus claim that the land is the birthplace of Lord Ram while the Muslims say that it houses the Babri mosque.
However, the Hindus argue that the Babri mosque was built in 1528 on the "Ram Janmabhoomi" by Mughal emperor Babur who destroyed a pre-existing temple of Lord Rama there.
In 1885, Nirmohi Akhara had filed a petition in Faizabad and asked for permission to worship Lord Ram inside the Babri Masjid. However, permission was not granted.
In 1949, some Hindu groups allegedly entered the mosque and placed Lord Ram's idols inside. Later that year, the government declared the area as disputed and locks the gates to the premise.
In 1986, a district court ordered that the gates of the mosque be opened and Hindus are allowed to worship there. With the Muslims protesting against the court's order, a Babri Mosque Action Committee was formed.
In 1990, the mosque was allegedly damaged by Hindu groups, inciting violence. Later, LK Advani organised a rath yatra "to educate people about the Ayodhya movement".
In 1992, the mosque was demolished by Hindu Kar Sevaks, leading to widespread riots in India that claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people. Later, the central government, headed by PV Narasimha Rao, had set up a commission of enquiry under Justice M S Liberhan on December 16.
About the historic Ayodhya verdict:
In 2017, the Supreme Court said the matter is sensitive and should be settled out of court. It also asked all stakeholders to hold talks and find an amicable solution. However, the Shia Waqf Board filed an affidavit in the apex court, saying a new mosque being built away from the disputed site.
Two years later, a five-judge Constitution Bench -- headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi -- was formed to hear the disputed land case. On November 9, 2019, the court gave a historic verdict and paved the way for the construction of Lord Ram's temple. The top court also allotted an alternative land be given to the Muslims for the construction of the mosque.
"A suitable plot of land measuring 5 acres to be handed over to Sunni Waqf Board either by Central Government or State Government. Sunni Waqf Board at liberty to construct a mosque at the allotted land," said then CJI Ranjan Gogoi in his verdict.
"The history and culture of this country have been home to quests for truth, through the material, the political, and the spiritual. This Court is called upon to fulfil its adjudicatory function where it is claimed the two quests for the truth impinge on the freedoms of the other or violate the rule of law," the verdict added.