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(A special CBI court on Wednesday, 30 September, acquitted all 32 accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, 28 years after the incident took place. Among the accused acquitted, over lack of evidence, were LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti. This story was first published on 5 December 2017 and is being republished from The Quint’s archives in light of this development.)
6 December 1992 – a day that changed Indian politics forever. The Babri demolition incident in Ayodhya is well-known, but what were the events that unfolded prior to this day?
A Documented Rehearsal
On 5 December 1992, a rehearsal was carried out. Dozens of kar sevaks participated in this effort, in practice for the main event the next day. This activity was photographed by Praveen Jain, Associate Editor of The Indian Express who had at the time worked with The Pioneer and who says he had to disguise himself as a member of the VHP to gain access to the grounds on which the practice was being held.
The Key Witness
In an exclusive interview, Praveen Jain, the key witness of the Babri demolition case spoke to Quint Hindi.
The events of 5 December are still fresh in his mind. He said:
The chaotic scene of that day still makes Praveen’s hair stand on end.
Praveen says:
Advani, Joshi and several BJP leaders accused
The CBI court in Lucknow has been hearing one of the cases related to the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. The debate is over whether there was a pre-planned conspiracy behind the demolition of the disputed structure. In May 2017, the court framed charges against BJP leaders including LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharati. They were, however, granted bail.
Video Editor: Kunal Mehra
Camerapersons: Neeraj Gupta and Shadab Moizee
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