Babri demolition trial: Uma Bharti appears before special court, accuses BJP of framing her

Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Thursday appeared before a special court here, accusing the then Congress-led government of framing her in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case because of political vendetta.

Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Thursday appeared before a special court here, accusing the then Congress-led government of framing her in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case because of political vendetta. The former Union minister alleged that the then central government got an FIR lodged against her and others over the demolition to fulfil its political intentions.

They were falsely implicated under political pressure on the basis of fabricated evidence, she claimed in the CBI court. Bharti appeared in person, unlike party veterans L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Kalyan Singh who are likely to record their statements via a video link. Bharti was deposing before special CBI judge SK Yadav. Calling herself a "Ram Bhakt", the former Union minister said that she took part in the temple campaign in Ayodhya with full faith and with a feeling of devotion towards Lord Ram.

"I will always be proud that I took part in this campaign," Bharti said, adding that she was a second-time MP during the time. She said she was proud that her life has been devoted to "Ganga, tiranga (tricolour), gau (cow), gareeb (poor), naari (women) and Ram".

The special CBI court is currently recording the statements of the 32 accused under section 313 of the CrPC, a stage in the trial that follows the examination of prosecution witnesses. As the BJP leader came out of the court, she said, "I consider the law of India as the Vedas, the court as a temple and the judge as a form of God. Whatever I said before him, I cannot comment on it, because the judgment on those things is yet to come." She said the campaign for constructing the Ram temple has been a long one. "I doubt that there has been any such campaign which lasted for five centuries, and in those five centuries it has only intensified," the BJP leader said. Last year's apex court's verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute, and acceptance of the judgement by the people was "overwhelming" and a "matter of pride for us" she added.

The 61-year-old saffron clad BJP leader is the 19th accused to depose before the court in the over 27-year-old case.         Thirteen other accused, including former deputy prime minister LK Advani and senior BJP leaders MM Joshi and Kalyan Singh are yet to be examined at this stage.         The mosque in Ayodhya was demolished in December 1992 by ''kar sevaks'' who claimed that an ancient Ram temple had stood on the same site. The CBI court is conducting day-to-day hearings to complete the trial by August 31, as directed by the Supreme Court.

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