New Delhi, November 16
In a surprise move, the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, defending the filing of supplementary charge sheet by the CBI in the Ayodhya case, dropping the conspiracy charge against top BJP leaders.The affidavit was filed by the state government less than two months after Mr Yadav took over as Chief Minister, responding to the notice issued by the apex court in a petition filed by one Wajahat Ansari seeking quashing of the supplementary charge sheet filed by the CBI and holding of trial at Lucknow instead of Rae Bareilly.
In addition to this, the affidavit also said it was wrong to assume that Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992, pursuant to a conspiracy by any specific community or political party.
“The contentions of the writ petition are admitted only to the extent that Babri Masjid was destroyed on December 6, 1992. The contention of the petitioner that the aforesaid act was done under criminal conspiracy by any specific community or political party is wrong and denied,” it said.
It also said that there was no legal ground for maintainability of the petition filed by Mr Ansari and requested the court to dismiss the same.
Defending the supplementary charge sheet filed by the CBI in the Ayodhya case, the Uttar Pradesh Government said under Section 173(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code the agency had the power to further investigate the case at any stage and file a supplementary charge sheet.
Mr Mulayam Singh, before becoming Chief Minister, had raised a debate in Parliament, alleging that the Centre was “misusing” the CBI to “dilute” the charge sheet against top BJP leaders in the Babri Masjid demolition case.
— PTI
