July 6, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 5,1424

NEW DELHI, July 5: India’s Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) on Saturday told a court that eyewitnesses had seen Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani instigating Hindu zealots to tear down the Babri mosque in 1992.

Quoting statements of about a dozen witnesses before special judge V.K. Singh at a court in Rae Bereilly, Uttar Pradesh state, CBI counsel S.S. Gandhi said Advani and other leaders present at Ayodhya on Dec 6, 1992, made “inflammatory” speeches in the morning.

Hindu zealots began demolishing the 16th century mosque around noon on that day and by 5pm the three-dome structure had been completely destroyed.

The leaders also “instigated” the Hindu activists to demolish the Babri mosque, Mr Gandhi said, quoting the witnesses.

Others named by the counsel included Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, former sports minister Uma Bharti and right-wing Hindu leaders Sadhvi Ritambhara and Ashok Singhal.

All of them are facing charges in the special court at Rae Bareilly for their role in the demolition.

On May 31, the CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet against Mr Advani and others in the court. —AFP