10/05/2020 India (International Christian Concern) – The special Central Bureau of Investigation court in India has acquitted 32 members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused of planning the demolition of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya. According to the court, there was no evidence that prominent BJP leaders planned the destruction of the holy site 28 years ago.
In 1992, a mob of Hindu radicals attacked and demolished the Babri mosque. The radicals claimed that the mosque was built on top of the ruins of a Hindu temple and was an offense to their religion. After the demolition of the mosque, Hindu radicals clashed with the Muslim community leading to the deaths of some 2,000 people.
According to the Liberhan Ayodhya Commission, the destruction of the mosque was the result of a planned conspiracy. This conclusion was arrived at after 17 years of investigation into the incident.
On September 30, the court now claims there was no conspiracy and that BJP leaders were actually trying to stop the “spontaneous” outbreak of violence.
This ruling, in addition to the court’s ruling in 2019 allowing the construction of a Hindu temple on the contested site, has many religious minorities concerned about the future of religious freedom in India. Many feel the ruling was made to satisfy extreme Hindu nationalists at the expense of justice and the rule of law.
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