M A I N   N E W S

Oppn blames CBI for clean chit to Advani
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
While the Left parties blamed the CBI for the discharge of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in the Ayodhya demolition case, Congress stated that it would study the court order before giving its views. The party, however, demanded the resignation of all accused person against whom charges were framed today by a Rae Bareli court.

On the other hand, the BJP, terming the case as politically motivated, stated that there was no need for anyone to resign.

‘‘There is no need for any minister, including HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, to resign from the government even if charges are made. We are of the opinion that it is politically motivated and foisted on nationalist organisations by the then regime for political persecution,’’ BJP President M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.

The Congress today said it would study the reasoning behind the order of the Rae Bareli Court discharging Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in the Ayodhya demolition case and felt that HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi’s resignation was not of any significance as he had ‘enjoyed’ power for five years.

The CPM said the CBI and not the judiciary had acquitted Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani by filing a ‘diluted‘ charge sheet.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said ‘‘What remains unanswered and defies logic is why Mr Advani, who masterminded the demolition of the Babri masjid and triggered the Ram Temple agitation, was let off ?’’ The veteran Left leader said it could only be explained on the grounds that Mr Advani ‘holds the two important offices in the Government of the country.’

Describing as ‘very unfortunate’ the discharge of Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani in the Ayodhya demolition case, the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board said ‘‘The mastermind behind the entire conspiracy of Babri demolition has got away scot free’’ and that it would intervene in the case, if necessary, to get justice.

VHP senior vice-president Acharya Giriraj Kishore today said he believed the charge sheet ‘was not right’ but took ‘no objection’ to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani being discharged.