RAE BAREILLY (India), July 28: India’s former deputy premier Lal Krishna Advani and seven Hindu leaders were charged in court on Thursday with inciting a mob to tear down Babri Mosque, an act which sparked nationwide religious riots that left at least 2,000 dead.

In the charges, a special judicial magistrate said Advani and the others had made “exciting and provocative speeches” which instigated a mob to destroy the mosque in Ayodhya on Dec 6, 1992. The eight who appeared in court here included two former federal ministers and top leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. They all pleaded not guilty.

Advani, 77, and the others were bailed for 10,000 rupees to appear again on Aug 30. Hundreds of supporters shouted pro-Hindu slogans outside the court in support of Advani, whose Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gained nationwide prominence after the mosque demolition.

After the court appearance, Advani said he would continue to campaign for the temple to be built. “I can assure that none of us are going to sit quietly till a magnificent temple is built at god Ram’s birthplace,” Advani said.

“Building the Ram Temple is not only a concern of Hindus, it is a question of national pride,” he said.—AFP